If you can dream it you can do it

1. If you can dream it you can do it ICT Conference, Kabul. Sep 24 2013

2. Afghanistan way back in 2001… • The war had just ended and the peace process had started but the doubts remained • Telecom infrastructure virtually non existent • Only means of communication were “expensive satellite phones” or “limited analog lines” • People had to cross the border to make a phone call “A harsh life which was made harder because of lack of communication and connectivity”

3. “I felt a tremendous calling to initiate some way of helping rebuild Afghanistan and I realized that telecommunications, radio and TV broadcasting techniques is an essential component of political, economic, social and cultural development” Ehsan Bayat Chairman Afghan Wireless and Bayat Foundation

4. The dream thus began… Connecting the World to Afghanistan and Afghanistan to the World By providing best in class GSM services

5. But the challenges were immense… • Difficult terrain • Insecurity and fear of the unknown • Vendor unwillingness • Inadequate infrastructure • Lack of trained manpower But Afghan Wireless philosophy right from the beginning was“ If it cant be done it must be done”

6. Afghan Wireless launches the first GSM network in Afghanistan… • Afghan Wireless initiated the network rollout and started operations in record seven weeks from equipment order • Network started in five major cities accounting for 13% of total population • His Excellency President Hamid Karzai inaugurates the service by making a first call Afghans got the chance to make a call to their near and dear ones after decades

7. The consumer response was phenomenal… • “Now I can receive calls from my brother no matter where I am” • “I don’t have to travel 150 kilometers just to call my son abroad. Afghan Wireless has helped me reunite with my family” • “I can now connect to my business partners and my business has increased” Afghan Wireless received letters from all across Afghanistan commending on launching the services and to launch the services in new areas

8. Aggressive Investing for the Long Term Today, Afghan Wireless is the only operator in Afghanistan to have a microwave backbone covering over 4,000 kms.

9. The strategy behind the growth… • Making the impossible possible Afghan Wireless GSM cell site at Salang at 3980 meters above sea level is perhaps one of the highest in the world. We made a concrete road of around 2 kilometers…carried equipment on mules…and engineers battled winds of over 150 km per hour to ensure consumers are not stranded at the highest point in Afghanistan

10. Afghan Wireless continues to grow… Today Afghan Wireless provides GSM Services to 34 Provinces and over 800 cities and towns

11. Afghan Wireless today… • Now provides GSM Cell Phone service to over 4 Million Subscribers covering 70% of the population • Provides International Roaming with 432 Networks across 125 Countries. • Leading provider of ISP (Internet Services) and data network services, primarily to Large Corporate, Governmental and Non – Governmental agencies. AWCC brings Internet Bandwidth over terrestrial links into Afghanistan. • AWCC was the first company to provide Microwave connectivity from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan Border in the north and also through two locations through Pakistan via Spinboldak and Turkham in the South and East. We also have sites on the Turkmenistan border for future connectivity. • Proudly owns one of the world’s Highest GSM site at the Salang Mountain (3980m AMSL). • Proudly owns Afghanistan’s highest capacity Microwave network ring across the Country – digitally providing communications to over 95% of our subscribers without the need of slow, unreliable satellite connection.

12. Afghan Wireless continues to grow… Afghan Wireless has provided direct employment to over 5000 local Afghans and indirect employment to over 50,000

13. Public Engagement Afghan Wireless organizes annual Run Race and Bike Race in Kabul and Provinces under themes “Say No to Drugs” and “Peace”.

14. Afghan Wireless: Mobilizing Education • As part of the power of ICT, mobile technology is crucial for fostering a nation’s economic development • Mobile phones have improved connectivity, facilitated networking and information exchange, and allowed people to access the financial system via mobile money. Scalability and accessibility are among mobile telephony’s most important attributes. • Due to the power of education and its direct link to a nation’s economic development, AWCC is now focusing on mEducation as a priority theme for development and deployment in Afghanistan.

15. What Is mEducation or mLearning? • mEd is a large and dynamic field of mobile application and system development, deployment, and research • It focuses on how mobile technology can address pressing educational issues such as: • Literacy • Mathematics / Numeracy • Content development and dissemination • Data collection for decision making • Professional development for teachers • Workforce development in other industries • Administration / tuition payment • Most importantly, scalability and accessibility for all!

16. What Can mEducation Bring Afghans? • Afghan students – both public and private - face a multitude of challenges to obtaining a comprehensive education such as: • limited ability to pay for tuition and materials • teacher absenteeism • limited time to cover assigned curriculum • insufficiently trained instructors • Inefficient / expensive administration processes • Mobile technology’s inherent ability to scale, provide wide access, serve as a content delivery mechanism, and act as a payment / data collection channel can help address these challenges

17. Our Approach: Develop a mEd Accelerator • Building on our efforts to enable teacher salary payments, we plan to test a portfolio of mEducation initiatives with our partners in Kabul • This test bed / accelerator will aggregate best practices for the use of mobile money, mobile telephony, mobile learning, and other innovative technology to help both students and educational service providers overcome obstacles to education. • Aim is to put innovations into the test bed early, “fail fast”, and revise – our goal is to quickly find out what works for students, teachers, and school administrators.

18. Our Initial Portfolio • Working with our partners, we will initially test applications related to the following: • Teacher attendance monitoring and incentivization via mobile money • Tuition payment via mobile money • Lecture by Mobile (LbM) - saving lecture content and making it accessible via an IVR system • mScholarships – micro scholarships delivered via mobile money to motivate at risk students or activate interest in particular subjects (e.g. girls’ study of science, technology, and math) • Content delivery via mobile handsets (starting with basic English)

19. Leveraging the synergies with Ariana Television Network… • Joint SMS Contest on ATN- Common else where but new in Afghanistan • Joint promotions- New program info to Afghan Wireless subscribers thru SMS and Voice. • Joint sharing of sites- cost reduction • Content creation and sharing- News, Logos, Ring tones

20. Ariana Television & Radio Largest private TV Channel in Afghanistan Covers 34 provinces, reaching approx 20 million Afghans For those without a TV, ATN also provides Ariana Radio Focused toward – Information, Content and Entertainment Non-partisan position used to broadcast accurate, unbiased news to the audience as events occur Programming places particular emphasis on education, health, children's programming, women's and world issues Audience experiences other lands, cultures, and also parts of their native Afghanistan for the first time Brings current events and news from the various regions ofAfghanistan to Afghans abroad Expands opportunities for writers, directors, producers, and actors within the creative Afghan communities

21. The Bayat Foundation • Helping to rebuild Afghanistan, the Bayat Foundation is dedicated to providing essential services to the people of Afghanistan • Projects focusing on education, health, empowerment of women, human basic needs and preservation of the rich cultural heritage of Afghanistan are central to the Foundation's activities • Activities that improve people’s health and give them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty • Foundation is led by Ehsan & Fatema Bayat • Additional information about the Bayat Foundation and its programs and services is available at www.bayatfoundation.org and www.bayatfoundation.org.af

22. BAYAT FOUNDATION PROJECTS • The Bayat Foundation Projects focus on: • Rebuilding Afghanistan (Roads, Infrastructure) • Education (Schools, Libraries) • Health (Maternity Hospitals, Clinics) • Empowerment of Women • Basic human needs (Food, Clothing, Medicines, Blankets) • Preservation of the rich cultural Heritage of Afghanistan • Sporting Events (‘Say NO to Drugs’ Bike Races, Running Races, etc.) and sponsorship of sports teams • Concerts, Festivals • Orphanages • Hope, Pride and Unity

23. BAYAT FOUNDATION PROJECTS - Education and Development • Bayat Foundation is the largest and most active private humanitarian-aide organization, serving every province of Afghanistan, in every sector. In Education we have accomplished the following: • Continue sponsorship of National Teacher’s Day Celebrations • 6 school construction • Women's Dormitory Constructions • Construction of second floor of Khwaja Abdul Ansar Kindergarten in Herat province • Kabul University Journalism Studio • Kabul University Internet/Computer Lab Construction of Sport Stadium Michelle Bayat Secondary School Saleha Bayat Women’s Dormitory

24. BAYAT FOUNDATION – • 50 Bed Maternity Hospital in Maimana • . • Children ICU at Indra Gandhi Hospital • 50 Bed Maternity Hospital in Daikundi • 20 Bed Maternity Hospital in Gardez, Paktia Province • 20 Bed Maternity Hospital in Tora Bora district, Ningarhar Province. • 10 Bed Health Clinic In Sari-Pul • New Maternity Ward and Ambulance donation to RabiaBalkhi Hospital Healthcare and Women Saleha Bayat Hospital Inauguration - Mazar-i-Sharif

25. BAYAT FOUNDATION PROJECTS - Families in Need • Providing food, shelter, and clothing to Refugees returning from Iran and Pakistan • Samangan Water Project & Tanker • Humanitarian assistance to Jaghori, Jaghato & Malistan districts of Ghazni • Hazrat Khowaja Abdullah Ansari Orphanage construction assistance • Alaudin Orphanage playgrounds and donations

26. Thank You