Afghan Wireless

Establishment and licensing

In 1998, Afghan-American entrepreneur Ehsan Bayat obtained a telecommunications licence from the government of Afghanistan to establish a telecommunications business in the country. The company's early development involved international investors, including British entrepreneurs Stuart Bentham and Lord Michael Cecil. Afghan Wireless was associated with Telephone Systems International (TSI), a telecommunications company promoted by Bayat.

The company's licensing in 1998 preceded its commercial mobile network launch in 2002. The two dates refer to different stages in the company's establishment and development.

Commercial GSM launch

On 6 April 2002, Afghanistan's interim leader Hamid Karzai inaugurated the country's first commercial mobile telephone network by placing a telephone call from Kabul to Afghanistan's ambassador to the United Nations in New York. The network was operated by Afghan Wireless Communication Company and initially provided service in Kabul, with plans for expansion to other major cities.

The launch represented an important development in Afghanistan's telecommunications sector, where decades of conflict had left telephone infrastructure severely limited. AWCC used GSM technology and introduced prepaid mobile services. Public telephone facilities were also made available to people who did not own mobile handsets.

In June 2002, the New Zealand company Argent Networks was contracted to assist with development of AWCC's GSM network. The company subsequently worked on billing systems for the operator.

Network expansion and market development

During the 2000s, Afghan Wireless expanded its mobile services beyond Kabul. The development of mobile telecommunications was part of a broader expansion of Afghanistan's communications infrastructure following the establishment of the post-2001 government.

The expansion took place in a challenging operating environment, including political instability, security problems, damaged infrastructure and unreliable electricity supplies. Telecommunications operators in Afghanistan also faced attacks on network infrastructure and pressure to interrupt services in certain areas.

AWCC subsequently expanded its services to include mobile internet and other data services. It also developed international roaming relationships with telecommunications operators in other countries.

Growth and ownership disputes

During the early years of its operations, AWCC was involved in disputes among investors concerning the company's ownership and financial arrangements. In 2011, Vanity Fair published an investigation describing disputes involving Ehsan Bayat and British investors Stuart Bentham and Lord Michael Cecil. The report discussed allegations concerning company ownership, contractual arrangements and financial interests.

3G and mobile financial services

During the 2010s, AWCC expanded its mobile data and value-added services. Its offerings included third-generation mobile connectivity and mobile financial services.

In 2012, the company introduced a mobile money service known as My Money. The service was developed to enable customers to conduct financial transactions using mobile telecommunications technology.

The company's mobile financial services subsequently included payment facilities for services such as utility bills. AWCC identifies Afghan Besim Mobile Money Company (ABMMC) as its mobile financial services arm.

Introduction of 4G LTE

On 4 May 2017, Afghan Wireless announced the launch of its 4G LTE mobile network, initially in Kabul. The company described the launch as the first commercial 4G LTE service in Afghanistan.

The introduction of LTE represented a transition from earlier generations of mobile technology towards higher-capacity mobile broadband services. AWCC subsequently promoted the expansion of its 4G services to additional parts of the country.

Fiber-optic infrastructure

In March 2018, Afghan Wireless announced that it had signed a national fiber-optic network investment and installation licence agreement with the Afghanistan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ATRA). The agreement was intended to support the development of fiber-optic infrastructure in Afghanistan.

The World Bank has identified fiber-optic infrastructure as an important component of Afghanistan's digital connectivity and telecommunications development.

Developments since 2020

During the 2020s, AWCC continued developing its mobile telecommunications, internet and financial services. The company states that its network provides services across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

According to the company's corporate website, AWCC serves more than five million customers and employs more than 6,000 people. These figures are company-reported statistics.

Aliullah Sarwari

Aliullah Sarwari is an Afghan telecommunications executive who serves as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Afghan Wireless Communication Company. He joined AWCC in 2015 as Director of Core and Value Added Services (VAS) and subsequently held technical and executive management positions within the company, including Deputy Chief Technology Officer and President of the Executive Committee.

Sarwari has a background in telecommunications engineering and professional experience in the telecommunications sector.

As chief executive officer, Sarwari represents AWCC in corporate and government engagements concerning the company's telecommunications operations and development. In April 2026, he participated in discussions with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology concerning network coverage, service quality and the development of 5G trial services in Kabul.

AWCC also identified Sarwari as its chief executive officer in its announcement concerning 5G testing in Afghanistan.

Mobile telecommunications

AWCC provides mobile voice and data services to individual and business customers. Its network development has included GSM-based mobile services, third-generation mobile broadband and 4G LTE. In 2026, the company began testing 5G technology in Kabul.

Internet and broadband

The company provides mobile internet and other internet connectivity services. Its corporate website identifies voice, data and internet connectivity as part of its telecommunications operations.

Fiber-optic network

AWCC received a national fiber-optic network licence in 2018 as part of the expansion of private telecommunications infrastructure in Afghanistan. Fiber-optic networks support high-capacity data transmission and telecommunications connectivity, including mobile network backhaul and internet services.

Mobile financial services

AWCC's mobile financial services include My Money, which was introduced in 2012. The company identifies Afghan Besim Mobile Money Company as its mobile financial services business. Its stated services include money transfers, salary disbursements and utility payments.

Operation Foxden

In August 2011, Vanity Fair published an investigation by journalist David Rose concerning an alleged United States intelligence operation known as Operation Foxden. The article reported that American intelligence agencies had explored using a proposed Afghan telecommunications network to collect communications intelligence during the Taliban government's rule.

According to the investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency had considered arrangements involving the network, while disagreements between American intelligence agencies and legal restrictions arising from United States sanctions against the Taliban complicated the project.

The report also discussed the involvement of Ehsan Bayat and his British business partners in the original arrangements for Afghan Wireless. Bayat denied that he or his companies had acted unlawfully or operated wiretapping equipment, and disputed aspects of the account concerning American intelligence involvement.

The allegations concern proposed arrangements surrounding the company's early development and should be distinguished from independently established facts about the operation of its commercial telecommunications network after 2002.