A number of Takhar residents in north-eastern Afghanistan said that many remote districts in the province are still without cellphone services due to the lack of towers, while others have complained about high service fees.
The residents said telecom services are a priority for them and that they pay 250 Afs ($2.8) for 1.5 gigabytes of data despite serious economic challenges amid a high unemployment rate.
“We call on telecom companies in Rustaq and Chah Ab districts and areas near the Kokcha River to pay attention to the problems people face in terms of telecommunication services,” said Mohammad Hashim, a resident of Rustaq district.
“The internet services are low-quality. It is down. We cannot ensure communication with our friends and family using this type of internet service,” said Azizullah, a Takhar resident.
Taliban officials from the telecommunication services department said that efforts are underway to improve the quality of the services of telecom companies in the province.
“The issue of low-quality internet services has been shared with the telecommunication ministry and soon there will be a big improvement in quality and telecommunication services in the province,” said an official of the department.
Five telecom companies, including a government-owned provider, are operating in Takhar province.
