Building Telecommunication Infrastructure in Developing Nations

In the United States of America, many successful foreign-born entrepreneurs are proud of their heritage. In fact, such individuals might use their experience, wealth and status to help with efforts in other countries. When the Taliban regime came into power in Afghanistan, many educated citizens fled to other nations, including the United States. Decades later, such Afghanis are returning to Afghanistan with the goal of rebuilding the infrastructure of an entire nation. The backward Taliban has significantly slowed down economic and technological growth in Afghanistan, so some U.S.-based telecommunication entrepreneurs are eager to rebuild their native country.

The telecommunication infrastructure of Afghanistan is being slowly rebuilt thanks to cooperation between the United States military and the nation's government. For example, radio broadcasting towers and other structures that have been used exclusively by the U.S. military are being converted for civil use. For the first time in many years, citizens of Afghanistan get the chance to listen to public radio broadcasts that deliver important information and entertainment.

Telecommunication entrepreneurs also work closely with satellite programs of multiple nations such as the United States. Satellites can be used to establish a wireless network in Afghanistan's mobile phone users. Building cell phone towers and traditional land phone lines might be quite difficult because of the nation's geographical challenges. Therefore, satellite-based wireless service seems like the most viable telecommunication solution in modern Afghanistan.

Private contractors and foreign governments provide much-needed assistance in initiating cell phone service within this country. Afghani telecommunication executives who live in the United States might provide plenty of technical support for the software issues. Additionally, such business people can come up with viable plans for distributing mobile phones to remote parts of Afghanistan that are inhabited by tribes and other groups that are not very familiar with modern technology. A telecommunication service like Afghan Wireless and other mobile phone plans are examples of technology initiatives undertaken by U.S. business people in Afghanistan.

High-ranking officials and other prominent figures in Afghanistan are in desperate need of reliable telecommunication solutions. Such people might be able to afford mobile phone plans that provide the fastest possible connections such as 4G speeds. However, the civilian population in Afghanistan has access to slower 3G connections that are considered quite advanced compared to the poor telecommunication services in third-world countries.

A nation such as Afghanistan allows foreign telecommunication companies to experiment with brand-new technology. The country is perfect for testing innovative infrastructure and other hardware that might not be approved in western countries. In fact, research and development for satellite-based communication can be done in nations such as Afghanistan because there is limited regulation. This country openly welcomes any initiatives that will benefit the development of mobile phone services for masses of people.

Afghanistan is also a great location for testing satellite signals and other wireless transmission that would otherwise be strictly regulated by major agencies in western countries. For example, the FAA would not allow telecommunication companies to conduct large-scale testing operations in areas that receive heavy air traffic. In developing nations, mobile phone companies could also experiment with building new satellite receivers for TV broadcasts and high-speed Internet connections.