Roshan’s Customer Base Surpasses Five Million Mark

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 14, 2011 -

- Innovation
drives growth and Roshan’s market leadership position in
Afghanistan

Roshan, Afghanistan’s leading telecommunications provider, today
announced that it is the first mobile operator in Afghanistan to
surpass five million active customers, up from 30,000 customers in
2003 when the pioneering company launched its network. The
milestone reaffirms Roshan’s position as the number one
telecommunications provider in Afghanistan based on both number of
customers and overall SIM cards sold.

Roshan attributed its rapid customer growth in Afghanistan to
its focus on innovation and meeting the individual needs and
aspirations of its diverse customer base through market and
regional segmentation, an unmatched range of voice and data
products and services, and superior network quality. Roshan’s
state-of-the-art and cutting-edge nationwide network now reaches
over 230 cities and towns across all 34 provinces in Afghanistan,
covering over 60 percent of the population.

“Reaching this milestone demonstrates how far we have come
towards reaching our goal of connecting people and bringing
Afghanistan into the 21st century. In 2003, when we started
operations, less than 100,000 people had access to a phone.
Afghanistan was truly landlocked. Since then, Roshan has been proud
to play a leading role in using mobile phone technology as a
critical tool in driving socio-economic development of the
country,” said Karim Khoja, chief executive officer.

In reaching five million customers, Roshan has also achieved
many other ‘firsts’ along the way:

• Market leader in data, including the first to introduce GPRS
  and BlackBerry.
• First to offer mobile money services through its M-Paisa
  “mobile wallet,” to support growth of a financial ecosystem.
• Largest private sector job creator, creating over 30,000
  legitimate jobs for Afghans, creating the future business leaders
  of the country.
• First operator to introduce a Corporate Social Responsibility
  arm, Roshan Community, whose projects include, building 16
  playgrounds to provide children with a safe place to play, 10
  schools to provide educational opportunities, and 60 wells to
  provide access to clean drinking water for over 114,000
  people.
• Introduced an innovative Telemedicine project connecting
  medical centers in Karachi, Kabul, Bamyan and Faizabad for
  real-time diagnosis and training for health care
  practitioners.
• Largest private investor in Afghanistan’s infrastructure, with
  over $500 million invested to-date.

Khoja added, “Our vision is to ensure that within the next five
years, every Afghan has access to a mobile phone and to serve as a
catalyst for change, supporting Afghans as we build a brighter
tomorrow for the country.”

Roshan’s customer base has increased by more than 30 percent in
the last year, with the addition of more than one million active
customers since October 2010. Afghanistan remains among the fastest
growing mobile phone markets in the world, with some 15 million
total customers, representing a mobile penetration rate of 35%.

About Roshan

Roshan (Telecom Development Company Afghanistan Ltd) is
Afghanistan’s leading telecommunications provider, with coverage in
over 230 cities and towns and over 5 million active customers.
Roshan directly employs more than 1,200 people and provides
indirect employment to more than 30,000 people. Since its inception
eight years ago, Roshan has invested over $500 million in
Afghanistan and is the country’s single largest investor and tax
payer. Roshan is deeply committed to Afghanistan’s reconstruction
and socio-economic development. The Aga Khan Fund for Economic
Development (AKFED), part of the Aga Khan Development Network
(AKDN), is a major shareholder of Roshan and promotes private
initiatives in building economically sound enterprises in the
developing world.  Also owned in part by Monaco Telecom
International (MTI) and TeliaSonera, Roshan brings international
expertise to Afghanistan and is committed to the highest standards
of network quality and coverage for the people of Afghanistan.

Media Contact

Farah Kurji                
     Jessica Anderson
Manager, Public Relations        Vice
President, Corporate
Roshan                
          Hill & Knowlton
Mobile: +93-0-799-99-6813        Direct:
+1-212-885-0492
E-mail:                
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Web: href="www.roshan.af">www.roshan.af       
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