Afghanistan is a developing country in Central Asia with unique characteristics that pose particular challenges for the development of Internet usage. The country has been occupied by international forces throughout its history and remains a conflict zone nowadays. The efforts that the Afghanistan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ATRA) is making in promoting the use of Internet in the country range from assuring via regulatory actions that the service providers will have sufficient resources to advance broadband deployment, through the use of Universal Service Access Funds to assure the provision of Internet access in remote areas. A key milestone was the approval of the Open Access Policy in September 2016, which requires several regulatory measures for its full implementation to secure the Internet & ICTs for the Sustainable Development Goals. The experience gained by ATRA in the implementation of the Open Access policy, particularly in the last year with regard to Multistakeholder Cooperation, is what we propose for the Open Forum. We feel that a fruitful discussion could be generated not just by analyzing the present situation and the measures taken, but also a consideration of the future steps in the regulatory arena which will pave the way for increase of Internet accessibility in the country. The experience gained in this area could also be shared with other countries experiencing problems derived from internal conflicts when dealing with the Internet Economy.
Tag 1: Multistakeholder Cooperation
Tag 2:
Tag 3:
Name(s) of Speaker(s):
Mohammad N. Azizi, Ph.D., Chairman, Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA)
Omar Mansoor Ansari, President, TechNation
Eng. Naqibullah Sailab, Vice Chairman, Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA)
Ata M. Yari, Advisor, Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA)
Name of Online Moderator: Mohammad N. Azizi, Ph.D.
Background Paper: background_paper.pdf
Past IGF Participation: No
Report Link:
Name: Mr. Rene Bustillo
Organizational Affiliation: Afghanistan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ATRA)