Afghan Telecom

What Afghan Telecom does

Afghan Telecom Corporation (operating as Afghantelecom, AFTEL, and Salaam) is Afghanistan's state-owned incumbent telecommunications provider, incorporated on 24 September 2005 under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and headquartered in Kabul. The company delivers a full-stack portfolio of wired and wireless services — fixed-line telephony (Digifone), fiber-to-the-x (FTTX), DSL broadband, point-to-point dedicated links, WiMAX, IMS video calling, satellite/VSAT services, Village Communication Network (VCN), and the Salaam 3G/4G GSM mobile network — across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

The company's technological foundation is its approximately 7,000 km national fiber optic backbone (36-core capacity, built at $152M cost using SDH and DWDM), covering 25 provinces and 62 districts and providing the only cross-border fiber connectivity to five neighboring countries (Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan) at seven border points. Layered on this backbone are 1,300 Salaam GSM network sites and more than 5,000 points of sale, including 20 company-owned teleshops and provincial sales centers in Jalalabad, Herat, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif, and Kunduz. The product mix spans core consumer broadband (DSL and FTTH packages 550–4,400 AFN/month), wholesale infrastructure (dark fiber IRU at $1,000–10,000/core/km, DPLC/IPLC/METRO leased capacity at $45/Mbps/month), enterprise connectivity (E1/PABX, P2P links), and government/public-sector services. The Salaam sub-brand reached 1.7 million mobile subscribers within one year of its 2012 launch.

Afghan Telecom monetizes through recurring monthly subscriptions billed in Afghani (consumer FTTH/DSL/GSM), usage-based and multi-year wholesale contracts (dark fiber IRU, bandwidth rental, leased lines), and enterprise/government contracts. Distribution is hybrid: direct sales through company teleshops and customer care centers, plus channel partners and authorized resellers (Ankabut, Etihad Khpalwak, Tezz, Sarfaraz Khurasan) for FTTH, alongside wholesale to other licensed telecom operators and ISPs. The company supports an active jobs pipeline and ongoing backbone expansion projects (e.g., Kandahar–Helmand to Farah route).

Name

Afghan Telecom

Legal name

Afghan Telecom Corporation

Website

https://afghantelecom.af

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Afghan Telecom is Afghanistan's state-owned incumbent telecommunications provider, operating the country's largest fiber optic backbone (~7,000 km) and the Salaam 3G/4G GSM network to deliver fixed-line, broadband, mobile, satellite, and wholesale bandwidth services to consumers, enterprises, government institutions, and other telecom operators across all 34 provinces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Services

NAICS

Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Radiotelephone Communications (4812), Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Utility Fiber Backbone & Transport Networks (OTN/MPLS, DWDM) (EUADAIAA), Real Estate, Leasing & Colocation Management (Landlords/REITs) (HDAIAKAJ), Business/Enterprise Fixed Connectivity Providers (SME/Enterprise Broadband) (HDAIABAI), Wireless ISPs (WISPs) & Fixed Wireless Access Providers (HDAIADAD), Rural Broadband & Cooperative Fiber Operators (HDAIACAG)

Keywords

• Telecommunications services
• Fiber optic networks
• Mobile network services
• Fixed line telephony
• Wholesale bandwidth

Headquarters

HQ city

Kabul

HQ country

Afghanistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Internet Services: Monthly subscription packages for FTTH, DSL, and P2P internet services billed in Afghani (AFN). Includes unlimited and limited data packages with varying speeds.
2. GSM Mobile Services (Salaam): Prepaid mobile data bundles and voice services for the Salaam GSM network, including daily, weekly, and monthly data plans.
3. Fixed Line Telephone (Digifone): Monthly subscription for fixed line digital phone services with unlimited internet options.
4. Wholesale Bandwidth Services: Leasing of fiber optic capacity, DPLC, Metro, and dark fiber to other telecom operators and ISPs. Pricing based on distance and capacity.
5. E1 Links and PABX Services: Enterprise connectivity services for offices, ministries, banks, and call centers with internal and external communication capabilities.
6. Satellite Services (Afghan Sat): VSAT connectivity, DTH broadcast, data connectivity, mobile backhauling, e-medicine and e-education services for remote areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Afghan Telecom delivers fixed-line telephone (Digifone), broadband internet (DSL, FTTX, WiMAX, P2P), mobile voice and data (Salaam GSM 3G/4G), IMS video calling, E1/PABX enterprise links, VSAT and satellite services, and wholesale dark fiber plus DPLC/IPLC bandwidth over a 7,000 km national fiber optic backbone. Services are billed via monthly subscriptions, prepaid data bundles, and multi-year IRU fiber leases to consumers, government ministries, enterprises, and other telecom operators.

Product overview

Afghan Telecom is a state-owned telecommunications company offering a comprehensive portfolio of connectivity services across Afghanistan. The product portfolio includes fixed-line services (Digifone digital phone and IMS video calling), broadband internet (DSL, FTTX fiber, and WiMAX wireless), mobile network (Salaam 3G/4G GSM), point-to-point dedicated connectivity, satellite services (VSAT and DTH), and wholesale infrastructure services (Dark Fiber Leasing and DPLC/METRO). The company operates the largest fiber optic network in Afghanistan at approximately 7,000 km covering 25 provinces and 62 district areas, with 1,300 Salaam network sites. Additional offerings include E1 digital transmission for enterprises, Village Communication Network (VCN) for remote areas, and Pay Phone public telephone services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Salaam: GSM mobile network brand providing 3G/4G voice and data services. Envisioned by Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, offering affordable telecommunications services across Afghanistan.

Products and services

• FTTX (Fiber to the X)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.7 million Salaam GSM customers within one year of launch
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• AnkabutminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFTTH reseller partner distributing fiber internet services in Macrorayn areas of Kabul (1st, 2nd, 3rd Macroryan districts).
• Etihad KhpalwakminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFTTH reseller partner distributing fiber internet services in Jade Nader Pashtun, Mandawi, Khushal Khan, and other Kabul districts.
• TezzminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFTTH reseller partner distributing fiber internet services in Omid Sabz area (Shahrak Haji nabi) of Kabul.
• Sarfaraz KhurasanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFTTH reseller partner distributing fiber internet services in Qala-e-Fatullah and Shahr-e-naw areas of Kabul.
• Najeeb Walikhan Construction CompanyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction company awarded contract (worth 58,962,648 AFN) for digging, cable installation, and pipe laying for Kandahar-Helmand to Farah route project.
• Rich PowerminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCompany awarded contract (worth 19,300,000 AFN) for supply of 14 various type generators for wireless operations department.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Roshan (Telecom Development Company Afghanistan): Afghanistan's leading private mobile operator offering 3G/4G voice, data, and enterprise services. Directly competes with AFTEL's Salaam GSM network across all 34 provinces.
• MTN Afghanistan: Major Afghan mobile operator offering GSM/3G/4G voice and data services, serving millions of subscribers. Direct competitor to AFTEL's Salaam network, and a wholesale customer of AFTEL's fiber backbone.
• Etisalat Afghanistan: UAE-owned mobile operator in Afghanistan offering 3G/4G services to consumer and enterprise segments. Direct competitor to AFTEL's mobile and broadband offerings.
• Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC): One of the first GSM operators in Afghanistan, providing mobile voice, data, and broadband services. Directly competes with AFTEL/Salaam and consumes AFTEL's wholesale fiber capacity.

Broad incumbents

• Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL): Indian state-owned telecom providing fixed-line, mobile, broadband, and enterprise leased-line services. Comparable as a large state-owned integrated operator with national fiber and rural connectivity mandate.
• Etisalat (UAE): UAE-headquartered integrated telecom group with mobile, broadband, and wholesale operations across the Middle East and South Asia. Comparable as the parent/operator behind Etisalat Afghanistan and as a global carrier-of-carriers benchmark.

Regional players

• Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited (BTCL): Bangladeshi state-owned fixed-line and broadband operator with national fiber backbone. Comparable as a state-owned national fixed-line and wholesale carrier in a neighboring South Asian market.
• Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTCL): Pakistan's state-owned integrated telecom operator offering fixed line, broadband, and wholesale services. Comparable national-telecom-of-record structure and integrated fiber backbone model across the border.
• Turkmen Telecom: Turkmenistan's state-owned telecom with cross-border fiber interconnection to AFTEL. Comparable as a neighboring state-owned carrier linked via AFTEL's border fiber routes.
• Tcell (Tajikistan): Major Tajik mobile operator cross-connected to AFTEL's fiber at the Tajikistan border. Comparable as a regional mobile carrier that uses AFTEL as a transit route.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Aftel_Official
• Facebookfacebook.com/Afghantelecom.af
• Instagraminstagram.com/afghan.telecom.official?igsh=MTdoanlqM2k1amZmOQ==
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/afghan-telecom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Afghan Telecom