Kalafgan residents decry lack of access to internet

TALOQAN (Pajhwok): Residents of Kalafgan district in northern Takhar province are complaining about no access to internet services.

They say they have never had access to internet services during the past 20 years.

The residents say in addition to lacking access to the internet, they face problems while making a phone call due to poor signals.

Haji Mohammad Yasin, a tribal elder in the district, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “All mobile phone companies have antennas in this district, but none provides internet services to customers and as a result, local residents face problems. Some families have relatives in neighboring countries and they cannot contact them”.

Haji Murad, another resident of Kalafgan district, that his four sons lived in a neighboring country, but they could not contact him due to the poor quality internet service.

He said: “We buy internet every month, but it does not work and we find it hard to have credit in our mobile phones due to economic problems, so we urge officials of the relevant authorities to resolve this issue”.

Mohammad Nader Muradi, another resident, was also concerned about the poor quality of telecom services, saying that tens of thousands of residents of the district were deprived of quality internet services since years.

Kalafgan was relatively peaceful district during the past two decades of conflict and there had been no security threats, but due the negligence of the mobile phone companies and officials of the previous government, the residents of the district have been lacking access to internet services.

Salahuddin Ershad, a civil society activist said, only one telecom company provided 3G internet service, but did not work properly.

The residents asked telephone companies to provide them 4G internet service.

Local officials also made similar complaints and urged telecom firms to address the issue.

Maulavi Ghulam Muhiuddin Hussam, deputy administrative head of Kalafgan district, confirming the lack of people’s access to the internet, said efforts were being made to resolve the issue.

Hussam added they had made times requested the telecom companies to provide internet services to the residents of Kalfagan district, but the issue remained.

Ahmad Shah Rasikh, financial assistant at the district office, admitted that the residents of Kalfagan district were deprived of internet services.

But he said the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology (MoCIT) was trying to extend such services to the remote areas of the district and the issue would be resolved until next year.

Residents of other remote areas of Takhar province are also complaing about lack of internet services.

aw/ma