Roshan (, ) is a
telecommunications
Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...
development company located in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
.
History
Roshan was founded by Kari Khoja in 2002.
In 2012, Roshan became the first and only company in Afghanistan to achieve
B Corporation certification, awarded by
B Lab.
In October 2017, in cooperation with the
Wikimedia Foundation
The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (WMF) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California, and registered there as foundation (United States law), a charitable foundation. It is the host of Wikipedia, th ...
, Roshan provided customers free access to
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free content, free Online content, online encyclopedia that is written and maintained by a community of volunteers, known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and the wiki software MediaWiki. Founded by Jimmy Wales and La ...
and its sister projects without incurring data charges. The cooperation was part of the
Wikipedia Zero project, which the
Wikimedia Foundation
The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (WMF) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California, and registered there as foundation (United States law), a charitable foundation. It is the host of Wikipedia, th ...
discontinued in February 2018. The agreement with Roshan expired on December 15, 2018.
As of June 2024, Roshan's telecommunications services are available in at least one city in every province in Afghanistan.
Shareholders
Roshan was founded under the ownership of the following companies:
* 51%—
Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, part of
Aga Khan Development Network
* 35%—Monaco Telecom International (MTI), subsidiary of
NJJ Capital (55%—since 2014, acquired from
Cable & Wireless) and
Principality of Monaco
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is a semi-enclave borde ...
over Société Nationale de Financement (45%)
* 9%—MCT Corporation (former U.S. company, now part of
Telia Company)
* 5%—
Alcatel
The investments were held through the Telecom Development Company of Afghanistan B.V., based in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
, which holds 100% of the shares of the Telecom Development Company of Afghanistan Ltd.
In July 2004,
Alcatel sold its 5% stake, distributing 3.25% to MCT and 1.75% to MTI.
In August 2020,
TeliaSonera sold its 12.25% stake and
Monaco Telecom sold its 36.75% stake
to
AKFED, making it the sole owner.
See also
*
List of Afghan companies
*
Telecom Development Company Afghanistan
References
External links
*
''The Economist'': Shining a LightHarvard Business: Roshan, co.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roshan (Telco)
Telecommunications companies of Afghanistan
Mobile phone companies of Afghanistan
Aga Khan Development Network