PRESS RELEASE
June 20, 2002
TSI Licensed to Provide International Phone Service Between U.S. and Afghanistan
New York, NY -- Telephone Systems International, Inc. (TSI) has received authorization from the Federal Communications Commission to provide long distance phone service between the U.S. and Afghanistan. It is the first U.S. company to receive such authorization since establishment of the Afghan Interim Government in December 2001. TSI will provide service in the U.S. on a resale basis, working with other long distance companies, and will operate its own international gateway switch in the U.S. In Afghanistan, Telephone Systems International will connect calls through its subsidiary, Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC), a new provider of mobile voice and data services. Telephone Systems International is a U.S. company based in New York, founded by president Ehsan Bayat, an Afghan émigré. “The goal of Telephone Systems International is to bring communications to the people of Afghanistan in order to promote rebuilding of the economy. Our service, already operating in Afghanistan, is connecting people in some cases for the first time,” Mr. Bayat said. “The addition of service in the U.S. will provide a vital link between Afghanistan and the rest of the world.” Afghan Wireless Communication Company is Afghanistan’s first terrestrial mobile communications service provider. Its GSM system is currently operating in Kabul and is scheduled to be operational in four additional cities in the near future.
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About Telephone Systems International (TSI) Founded by Afghan-American entrepreneur Ehsan Bayat, Telephone Systems International, Inc. is a U.S.-based provider of international telecommunications services. TSI operates the Afghan Wireless Communication Company in a joint venture with the Afghan Ministry of Communications.
About Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) The Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) provides wireless voice and data services with national and international connectivity in Afghanistan. It is a joint venture between Telephone Systems International Inc. (TSI), in the United States, and the Afghan Ministry of Communications. The company currently provides GSM services in Kabul, Herat, Mazar-i-sharif and Kandahar.
For more information, contact: Matthew Petrillo +1 202 997 1997 m.petrillo@telsysint.com
