Uruzganis struggle with limited telecom services

TIRINKOT (Pajhwok): In central Uruzgan province, some residents are struggling to access basic telecommunication services.

Many of them have to walk for hours just to make a phone call due to inadequate coverage in their areas.

Uruzgan’s six districts, including Khas Uruzgan, Chinartu, Gizab and Chora, are over 100 kilometers from the provincial capital, Tirinkot.

Residents of the remote areas complain that telecommunication services are either non-existent or extremely limited.

Ehsanullah, a resident of the Dara area of Gizab district, shared his experience: “Whenever we need to make a call, we either travel to Nikabad, the district center, climb a high mountain or walk for an hour to catch signals.”

Mohammad Rafiq from the Siro area of Khas Uruzgan district, described a similar struggle: “We have only a few antennas installed in the district center, which cover a very limited area. We use auxiliary antennas on our rooftops to pick up signals, but they are unreliable and often don’t work.”

Residents of Chora and Chinartu also underlined significant issues with telecommunication services, causing delays and disruptions in their daily activities.

Resident Naqibullah noted that the antennas in the district market were so weak that establishing a connection was challenging.

These inhabitants called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to improve the telecommunication infrastructure in their areas.

Local officials acknowledge the issue and are working towards a resolution.

Mullah Agha Wali Inaam, the governor’s spokesman, informed Pajhwok Afghan News that 50 telecom antennas were installed and activated last year in various parts of the province.

He added, “We are planning to activate 64 new communication antennas throughout the province soon to address connectivity problems.”

sa/mud