Telecom towers go up in remote areas of Paktia: IEA

Paktia Telecommunications Department officials say that they have started the process of setting up new telecommunication towers in remote areas of the eastern province.

Speaking during the inauguration of the project, which is being rolled out by Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) in Zurmat district, officials said additional land in other areas has been earmarked for the new towers.

“We have included in our plan all areas of Paktia districts where there are no telecommunications services, such as Zurmat and other districts,” Nasratullah Hijrat, director of telecommunications and IT in Paktia, said.

Salam Sharifi, head of AWCC in the southeast zone, meanwhile said: “Today, we inaugurated the AWCC site in Sahak area of Zurmat district. With this, the people of Sahak will benefit from better quality telephone services and fast internet services.”

Hazrat Mohammad Watanpal, the provincial director of the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA), said: “We will make more efforts. ATRA also plans to cover the under-serviced areas.”

Residents of Paktia province have meanwhile called on the private and state-run telecommunication sector to expand their services across the district, given its size.

“Zurmat has been facing telecommunication problems for 20 years. Many thanks to AWCC for solving our problems,” Abdul Hamid Faizan, a resident of Paktia’s Zurmat district, said.

According to local officials, about 10 new telecommunication sites have been activated in Paktia since the takeover of the country by the Islamic Emirate.