Telekiosk Project - Kabul, Afghanistan

As of this writing, 4 Telekiosks are open in post offices around Kabul. These locations were selected in the hope that citizens could more easily access the services. The Telekiosk that opened in July 2003 includes 4 computers connected to the Internet for public use, as well as 2 trained staff persons (one male and one female) to assist users. These personnel offer basic computer training to facilitate community members' access to the technologies. Project staff has also visited local schools in order to make them aware of the new service.

The Telekiosks are connected to the MoC's satellite data access, which is designed to provide a quick and easy connection while avoiding the infrastructure problems that may impede a landline implementation. There is a base station installed at the Ministry, which is the tallest building in Kabul, that enables 360-degree coverage of Kabul city with a range of 10KM. The wireless network will have the capacity to support more Telekiosk locations in the future. The Telekiosk website is based on free software called Postnuke Content Management System (CMS). The website contains links to government services, health information, job postings and business opportunities, and also local guides on Kabul and Afghanistan. In addition, there are interactive discussion forums on various topics where ideas can be exchanged between Telekiosk visitors and the rest of the world. The website supports both Dari and English.

Technology.

Head teacher Khaliqdat Khaliqi at the Asheqan Arefan Elementary school commented that "The young generation will be responsible for running the new Afghanistan. They need every type of training and access to technologies to find out about the world and connect Afghanistan to other countries..."

If the pilot is successful, organisers may expand it all over Afghanistan in an effort to foster unity among provincial communities and authorities. There are limited methods of communication between the capital of Kabul and the outlying provinces, they claim. They hope that the Telekiosks could help bridge that gap, even to the district and village levels of society.