Corporate social responsibility is part of the DNA of Roshan, Afghanistan’s leading communications provider, an Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) company. Roshan’s enhancement of Afghanistan’s telecommunications connectivity isn’t a business strategy, it’s a moral driving force and one of the reasons why Afghans love Roshan.
As an AKDN member, a group supporting nations’ socio-economic objectives, Roshan Telecom employs over 1000 people. Women constitute 19% of their employees and 97% are Afghan nationals. Indirectly, the company creates jobs for more than 35,000 people. Since its founding, Roshan has invested nearly $1 billion into its network. It provides mobile coverage to 287 districts and cities in Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, reaching more than 70% of the country’s population.
Afghanistan’s telecommunications infrastructure
For over a century, Afghanistan has endured internal conflicts and foreign invasions. These wars have hampered infrastructure development and socio-economic progress.
Before Roshan arrived in 2003, telecommunications connectivity in Afghanistan was almost non-existent. Most people had to travel to Pakistan to make a call. Telecom services were expensive and only 100,000 people had access to a phone. Due to a lack of reliable fixed-line infrastructure, Roshan’s mobile network deployments have been critical to citizens’ communication needs.
Beyond telecommunications, Roshan has also delivered many fantastic community projects. Their actions have brought health and economic freedom to countless people during the last two decades of conflict.
Roshan’s history of giving
Roshan’s initial investment in 2003 was not just about deploying a new network. At the time, a significant portion of the population of Afghanistan had never owned a mobile phone. So, Roshan took on the role of educator and facilitator, providing citizens with mobile phones and SIM cards and teaching them how to use their phones. In so doing, they created massive societal behaviour change. Now, the telecommunications market is one of the best economic drivers in the country.
From there, Roshan continued to expand their community work. They opened the country’s first internet cafes, created social spaces for children to play and learn in, and launched energy initiatives and a programme to help lift women out of poverty. Another Roshan project, Telemedicine, enables doctors in foreign countries to operate devices in Afghanistan, treating patients and saving lives.
These and many other acts of corporate social responsibility have earned Roshan several awards and plaudits. In 2014, B Lab, a company spearheading global socio-economic transformation, recognised Roshan as one of the best companies for the world. It’s a well-deserved accolade.
Improving Afghanistan’s telecommunications connectivity
Recently, Roshan sought to enhance Afghanistan’s telecommunications connectivity and selected Squire Technologies for the project. The project required the replacement of an end-of-life signalling transfer point (STP) from a Chinese vendor and a Diameter routing agent (DRA) implementation. However, the project was not just about an upgrade but also about making the network future-ready.
Today, the ability to customise networks is critical for operators. Unfortunately, vendor lock-in is an expensive hindrance to network upgrades. Roshan sought to avoid this scenario, requesting a solution compatible with multiple existing and future vendor components.
Squire Technologies’ versatile, forward and backwards compatible DRA and STP, deployed in this situation, can interop with just about any vendor solution. The result was that 3G and 4G services across two locations were improved, enhancing connectivity and solidifying geo-redundancy in a region vulnerable to ecological disasters.
“Connecting Afghans with reliable and innovative telecom services has always been our priority at Roshan. We believe in empowering individuals, businesses, and communities across Afghanistan through seamless communication and digital connectivity.
“With our cutting-edge technology and extensive network coverage, we strive to bridge the digital divide and bring people closer, enabling them to stay connected, share moments, and explore endless possibilities.
“Squire Technologies was chosen by Roshan to assist with this initiative. The project involved replacing an end-of-life STP from a Chinese vendor and implementing a DRA. It was not only about upgrading the network, but also about ensuring it is prepared for future technologies.”
Najib Hotak, CTO at Roshan
“It cannot be stressed enough how important mobile networks are to Afghans following the crippling of fixed-line service infrastructure. Despite the sorts of challenges that most people can’t begin to imagine, Roshan’s team has delivered an expert mobile service, while using community projects to lift citizens out of difficult situations.
“Their foresight in choosing a solution that reduces vendor lock-in also sets a great example for other mobile network operators facing challenging times.
“Roshan’s commitment to the people of Afghanistan is inspiring. It’s an honour to work with such a great team, and we look forward to more opportunities to help citizens in the region through core network optimisation.”
Ben Teversham, Sales Manager at Squire Technologies.
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