User:Aniqa.Feerasta/sandbox

Overview
 * 1) History
 * 2) Operations
 * 3) Products and Services
 * 4) Range
 * 5) M-Paisa
 * 6) Corporate Affairs
 * 7) Governance
 * 8) CSR
 * Indented line

Telemedicine
 * Indented line

Malomat Roshan (Telecom Development Company Afghanistan Ltd)
 * 1) References
 * 2) External Links

1.	Overview Roshan (Telecom Development Company Afghanistan Ltd) is Afghanistan’s leading total communications provider, headquartered in Kabul. As of May 2012, the company has 5.8 million active subscribers, and a network that covers over 230 cities and towns in all of the country's 34 provinces, giving it a 35 per cent market share, and helping to make it “the market leader in Afghanistan1.” Founded in 2003, Roshan is majority owned by The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED). Minority shareholders include Monaco Telecom International (MTI) and TeliaSonera AB. The word ‘Roshan’ means “light” and “hope” in both of Afghanistan’s national languages Dari and Pashto.

2.	History Roshan commenced commercial operations in July 2003, after the company was awarded the second GSM cellular network license in Afghanistan, in January of the same year. At the time,  Afghanistan had a limited telecommunications infrastructure, with Roshan estimating that only 80,000 people had access to phones, of which 25,000 were satellite phones, and confined to major urban areas. Afghanistan also lacked a basic service infrastructure, which meant that Roshan had to install its own communications towers, and build roads to provide access to them. Coupled with issues regarding security and access to power generators, Afghanistan represented a challenging operating environment for telecoms providers. Despite the challenges, by venturing outside the major cities to cover smaller towns and villages, engaging with local communities, and “fueled by its focus on innovation2,” Roshan's subscriber base has grown from 30,000 in 2003 to more than 5.8 million in 2012. Since its inception nine years ago, Roshan is now the largest private company, tax payer and investor in Afghanistan, investing over $500 million into telecommunication technology and infrastructure in Afghanistan. Roshan also provides 5% of the Afghan Government’s annual Budget, estimated at over $295 million3, “contributing to the economic growth of Afghanistan4.”

3.	Operations As the largest private company in Afghanistan and with a business model designed to “outsource much of its needs to create jobs in the local economy5,” Roshan is “one of the country’s largest indirect employers6.”

Roshan directly employs 1,200 employees, of whom 93% are Afghan nationals, and is responsible for the indirect creation of over 30,000 jobs7.

Roshan is also “committed to putting women to work8,” with 20 percent of the company being made up of female employees.

Roshan has over 2,800 direct and indirect points of sale, with 8 flagship stores and over 350 kiosks, and a network that covers over 60% of the population in more than 230 cities and towns, across all 34 provinces in Afghanistan9.

As Roshan looks to expand its network, and provide additional capacity and services, the company is investing approximately “$60 million a year in infrastructure10.”

4.	Products and Services A – Range

Roshan operates a variety of products and services that provide voice and data solutions to a range of different audience segments in Afghanistan.

In 2007, Roshan was the first company in Afghanistan to offer GPRS and BlackBerry services, providing high-speed data access and virtual office connectivity to businesses, NGOs, governmental bodies and individuals.

Roshan products and services include:

Product/Service	Description

Aali Friends & Family-oriented plan

Saadat Business oriented plan

Yaraan	Youth-oriented plan

Enaam Offers post-paid bundle options for flexible billing

Public Call Offices (PCOs) Allows calls to be made without handset and/or SIM

Online TopUp Enables prepaid airtime accounts to be refilled online SMS National, international, and roaming text message service

SMS Content Downloads Enables downloads of ring tones, picture messages, and logos SMS Voting

Enables SMS voting in television shows and/or or mobile quiz participation

Data Services Provides wireless internet browsing on cell phones and laptops via GPRS and EDGE

BlackBerry Offers virtual office connectivity on the move

Ring Back Tones Offers customized ring connection tones

Connection Rewards Reward program for pre-paid customers

B – M-Paisa In 2008, Roshan launched its M-Paisa service, and in doing so became “one of the first to open mobile money services11” in an emerging market. Operated in partnership with Vodafone, M-Paisa provides essential financial services to 97% of the unbanked population in Afghanistan12.

M-Paisa acts as a secure ‘mobile wallet’ that allows users to send and receive funds via their mobile phones. The also service allows for money transfer, microfinance payments, salary disbursement, bill payments and purchase of air time.

To facilitate M-Paisa adoption throughout the country, Roshan has pre-registered 1 million of its customers for the service.

 5.	Corporate Affairs A – Governance

Roshan is owned by an international consortium, from which The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is the major shareholder (51.00% stake).

Monaco Telecom International, a subsidiary of Cable & Wireless is the next largest shareholder (36.75%) followed by TeliaSonera AB (12.25%).

As a private company, Roshan does not provide financial figures, but is confident revenue will “maintain double digit growth for at least two more years13.”

 B – Corporate Social Responsibility Roshan Community is Roshan’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm, helping the company to “invest its profits back into the community…to aid the reconstruction of Afghanistan14,” through a range of social programs.

As of May 2012¸ over 200,000 Afghans have benefited from these programs, which have included the building of 10 schools, 19 playgrounds and 102 wells; providing microfinance loans to 120 women to run their own businesses; and sponsoring soup kitchens, which provide over 500,000 meals yearly15.

Major social initiatives that have leveraged Roshan’s technology include:

i.	Telemedicine In partnership with the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Communications, the Aga Khan Health Services, the French Medical Institute for Children, Bamyan Hospital and Faizabad Hospital, the ‘Telemedicine’ initiative is aimed at improving Afghanistan’s healthcare system.

By leveraging Roshan’s nationwide telecommunications infrastructure, Telemedicine links  hospitals in rural communities, aiming to provide an increased number of healthcare practitioners with high-quality, specialized medical diagnosis across Afghanistan. The initiative also provides training and educational seminars to healthcare professionals that do not have regular access to advanced medical facilities or solutions.

As of May 2012, more than 1,200 Afghans have benefited from Telemedicine, and over 500 healthcare practitioners have participated in the various training sessions and seminars16. ''' ii. Malomat''' In partnership with Mercy Corps and USAID's IDEA-NEW project, the Malomat initiative is designed to promote commerce in Afghanistan. Using a price information system, local farmers are able to access real-time market trends and information via an SMS delivery system, in order to assist them with the sale of their crops.

As of May 2012, more than 500 local farmers have signed up to Malomat17.

6.	References

1Smith, Matt (22 February 2012) “Afghan telco Roshan sees double-digit growth continuing” (http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/interview-afghan-telco-roshan-sees-double-digit-growth-122537102.html). Reuters (reprint)

2Baburajan, Rajani (15 June 2010) “Roshan Crosses Five Million Active Customers in Afghanistan” (http://communication-solutions.tmcnet.com/topics/communication-solutions/articles/186330-roshan-crosses-five-million-active-customers-afghanistan.htm). TMC Net

3http://www.roshan.af/Roshan/About_Roshan/About_Roshan.aspx

4Luce, Jim (21 March 2010) “Roshan: Cell Phone Company Helping to Change Afghanistan” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-luce/roshan-cell-phone-company_b_507554.html). Huffington Post

5Luce, Jim (21 March 2010) “Roshan: Cell Phone Company Helping to Change Afghanistan” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-luce/roshan-cell-phone-company_b_507554.html). Huffington Post

6Standage, Tom (26 September 2009) “Mobile marvels: Special Report on Telecoms in Emerging Markets” (http://www.economist.com/node/14483896). The Economist

7 http://www.roshan.af/Roshan/About_Roshan/About_Roshan.aspx

8Bahree, Megha (16 April 2007) “A New Calling” (http://www.forbes.com/global/2007/0416/028.html). Forbes

9 http://www.roshan.af/Roshan/About_Roshan/About_Roshan.aspx

10Smith, Matt (22 February 2012) “Afghan telco Roshan sees double-digit growth continuing” (http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/interview-afghan-telco-roshan-sees-double-digit-growth-122537102.html). Reuters (reprint)

11Virki, Tarmo (16 March 2009) “Emerging Market Telcos Race for Banking Business” (http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/03/16/telecom-financial-emerging-idUSLF4093020090316). Reuters

12http://www.roshan.af/Roshan/M-Paisa.aspx

13 Smith, Matt (22 February 2012) “Afghan telco Roshan sees double-digit growth continuing” (http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/interview-afghan-telco-roshan-sees-double-digit-growth-122537102.html). Reuters (reprint)

14Luce, Jim (21 March 2010) “Roshan: Cell Phone Company Helping to Change Afghanistan” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-luce/roshan-cell-phone-company_b_507554.html). Huffington Post

15http://www.roshan.af/Roshan/Roshan_Community/Work.aspx

16http://www.roshan.af/Roshan/Roshan_Community/Work/Communities/Telemedicine.aspx

17http://www.roshan.af/Roshan/Roshan_Community/Work/Communities/Malomat.aspx

7.	External Links

http://www.roshan.af/

http://www.akdn.org/akfed

http://www.monaco.mc/

http://www.teliasonera.com

http://www.vodafone.com