Kabul, Afghanistan, April 9, 2012 – Founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Mr. Ehsanollah Bayat, Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) is pleased to celebrate a decade of providing essential wireless telephony services reconnecting Afghans in even the most remote parts of the nation with the world.

Based on his fierce desire to assist the people of Afghanistan, founder and Chief Executive Officer Ehsan Bayat has guided Afghan Wireless to overcome challenges such as logistical problems, political instability, physical insecurity, and unreliable power supplies to pioneer the delivery of mobile telephony services to Afghanistan. Mr. Bayat’s initial mission was to help serve Afghans who – up until the arrival of Afghan Wireless – were unable to possess phones of any kind and were resigned to waiting in lines, sometimes for hours, to make calls at a small number of public call centers.

On April 6, 2002 – a mere seven weeks after the arrival of AWCCʼs initial network equipment in Afghanistan – His Excellency Hamid Karzai inaugurated the Afghan Wireless GSM network with an international call to Germany. And, today, more than one decade later, Afghan Wireless and Mr. Ehsan Bayat are proud to celebrate the establishment of a modern telecommunications industry and service structure in Afghanistan.

According to Mr. Bayat: “We are not just celebrating a decade of success for Afghan Wireless – we are celebrating the arrival of a world-class telephony system and broadband services market for all Afghans. Gone are the days of wondering where and how a phone call can be made – now Afghans are able to access sophisticated value added services and reliable connectivity in all parts of the nation. Afghan Wireless is pleased to have helped pioneer this industry and have played an integral role in reconnecting Afghanistan with the world. With over 98% of our team being comprised of talented Afghan staff and technicians, we have made AWCC a reflection of our nation as a whole, and we are proud to celebrate ten years of significant achievements with all of Afghanistan despite so many who have tried to undermine our countryʼs progress.”

About Afghan Wireless

Founded by Ehsanollah Bayat and headquartered in Kabul, Afghan Wireless (AWCC) – a joint venture between Telephone Systems International, Inc. (TSI) and the Ministry of Communications – serves approximately 4,000,000 subscribers throughout Afghanistan. Employing over 4,500 people directly and another 100,000 indirectly, Afghan Wireless is one of the largest employers of in Afghanistan, and is a leader in delivering wireless and broadband communication solutions to residential and business customers. Additional information is available at www.afghan-wireless.com.