Roshan bags third 3G licence

Telecom Development Company Afghanistan, which operates under the ‘Roshan’ brand name, has been awarded the nation’s third 3G licence, following on the heels of Etisalat Afghanistan – which commercially launched 3G in March this year – and South African-backed MTN Afghanistan – which received its licence in June. PR Newswires reports that Roshan paid USD25 million for the authorisation, matching the amount paid by MTN and Etisalat. Commenting on the award, Roshan CEO Karim Khoja said: ‘We are delighted to introduce 3G technology to Roshan’s six million and counting customers, expanding access to data-rich products and converged solutions to meet their needs.’ The cellco is expecting to launch 3G commercially later this year.