Afghanistan’s Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA) has introduced its second price cap for internet and telephony services in four years, reducing the cost of mobile data by 15 afghanis per gigabyte and cutting voice call rates by more than 36 percent, as the country’s telecommunications sector continues a rapid expansion push.
ATRA spokesperson Jalaluddin Shams told TOLOnews that increased market competition has amplified the effect of the regulatory intervention, with telecom networks now offering internet and communication packages at prices below the mandated caps. The authority says more than 29 million citizens currently have access to telecommunications services — a figure Shams said is growing quickly, with over 500 new telecom sites becoming operational across the country in the Afghan year 1404 (2025) alone.
ATRA says efforts are ongoing to extend coverage to citizens in all parts of the country, framing the dual levers of price regulation and infrastructure expansion as complementary tools for broadening access.
Economic analysts are broadly supportive of the direction, while pressing for further action. Economic analyst Shaker Yaqoubi argued that wider telecom and internet penetration is a prerequisite for market integration, enabling local markets to connect to national trade networks and stimulating competition. Despite recent gains in urban connectivity, low quality and high costs remain persistent criticisms, particularly outside major cities.
Editor’s Note: Afghanistan sits on a live beat for MEA Tech Watch given ATRA’s active regulatory posture under Taliban administration — the authority has now issued two price caps in four years, a level of consumer-oriented intervention that warrants continued tracking. The 500-site expansion figure and 29 million subscriber count are the most concrete datapoints ATRA has published in some time and provide a useful baseline for coverage going forward.
