Cell phones are an example of what is sometimes now called "leapfrog technology," a product that allows developing nations the benefits of a reliable and extensive communications network without the heavy investment in fixed-line phone infrastructure. Mobile phones, along with Internet in Afghanistan and other countries are part of a communications revolution that is helping boost income and stop the spread of disease in emerging economies.
For example, Abdul Wakil owns a dry goods store in the Afghan village of Daw Koo, about 40 kilometers north of Kabul. He says his cell phone has made all the difference.
"We used to go all the way to the city to order products, now it's only a phone call away and the costs are much less," he says.
The International Telecommunication Union says 72 percent of Afghanistan's population is now covered by a cell phone signal. By contrast, fewer than one person in a hundred has a fixed telephone line.
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