Internet in Afghanistan

Internet in Afghanistan began in 2002 after the Karzai administration took over office in Kabul. It was banned in 2001 because the previous Taliban government felt that it broadcasted obscene, immoral, and anti-Islam material, and because the few internet users at the time could not be easily monitored as they obtained their telephone lines from neighboring Pakistan.

Afghanistan was given legal control of the ".af" domain in 2003, and the Afghanistan Network Information Center (AFGNIC) was established to administer domain names. The Ministry of Communications charged with spinning off all telecommunications operations and services to a newly created independent company called Afghan Telecom. Up from five functional internet service providers (ISPs) in 2003, Afghanistan supported twenty-two internet hosts and seven main ISPs, and a growing number of internet cafés and telekiosks (public access points located in post offices and at Kabul International Airport).

The current government recognizes the internet as an important source of growth and development for the country, believing that ICT can create opportunities for disadvantaged groups and improve the access of the rural poor to markets. In November 2006, the Ministry of Communications contracted a Chinese firms (ZTE) for the establishment of a countrywide fiber optical cable network. By 2010, there were at least 46 ISPs in the country, with 1 million internet users. 3G services began in the country in 2012 and are provided by all major telecommunication companies, including Etisalat, MTN Group, Roshan, and Afghan Wireless.