Cellphone signals cut off at night in some Afghan provinces

Mar 14, 2008, 11:55 GMT

Kabul - After recent attacks on mobile phone towers by Taliban militants, private cell phone companies have started shutting down their signals during night in some parts of southern Afghanistan, officials and consumers said Friday.

Last month the Taliban threatened the companies with retaliation if they failed to switch off their signals during night time, saying foreign military forces were targeting them by homing in on insurgents' cell phones.

The Afghan communications ministry asked the cell phone companies to oppose the Taliban demand and continue night time service.

Due to a shortage of landline service, mobile phones are the only form of telecommunication for millions of Afghans.

Niaz Mohammad Sarhadi, district chief of Zherai district, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, 'From the time Taliban threatened the cell phone companies, they (cell phone companies) cut off signals from 4:30 or 5 in the afternoon until 7 am.'

'We suggested to (the mobile phone companies) to install their towers in places where we have our security posts. Whenever they want our assistance we will provide security for them as much as we can,' he said.

Residents in the southern province of Kandahar said they have no access to mobile phones at night.

Ghulom Hazart, a citizen of Kandahar city, said, 'Some friends and our relatives, who live in other districts, complain that after 5 or 6 pm they turn off their signals.'

Gul Hazart, a resident of Kandahar province's Maiwand district, said his service at night has been cut off for about two weeks.

Gul Mohammad, a resident of Zherai district said, 'When we had somebody sick in our house or when there was some other family problem, we could inform our relatives through phones, but now it doesn't work at night ... We want to ask the Taliban to think a little bit about this, because it is for the benefit of ordinary people.'

People in Zabul province also complained about disconnection of cell-phone signals. Assadullah, a resident of Qalat city, capital of Zabul province, said, 'The Afghan wireless company (AWCC) phones are off for the last four or five days even inside the Qalat city from 5 pm until 7 am.'

Mohammad Yaqoub Zabuli, provincial police chief of Zabul province, confirmed disconnection of mobile phone signals at night.

'Right now I am in Share Safa district in Zabul province and we all the time carry out patrols to keep the towers secure, but they (mobile phone companies) are still scared,' he said.

Since mobile phones were introduced in post-Taliban Afghanistan, the country's market for them has grown enormously.

According to the mobile phone companies, they have around 3 million subscribers. The Afghan government has touted this as one of its biggest achievements since fall of Taliban.