Try to wrap your mind around this story. America, the country with the most advanced military human civilization has ever seen, noticed that the Taliban is strongest in parts of Afghanistan that have no mobile phone coverage. No access to outside information = terrorist propaganda running wild. The solution? Build a mobile network.
That’s right. After spending an obscene amount of money to bomb the shit out that little country, we’re now not only rebuilding their schools, hospitals, and homes, but we’re also giving the people a mobile phone network they can be proud of. Admiral Gregory Smith, Director of Communication, Strategic Communication Directorate International Security Assistance Force, and United States Forces Afghanistan, is pouring about $150 million into the new mobile network during 2010. The U.S. State Department is also throwing in $113 million this year. That’s $263 million. Just to give you an idea of how that compares to AT&T, they spent roughly $5 billion [PDF] during 2009 on their wireless network.
Population USA: 307 million, and $5 billion spend on wireless = ~ $16.30 spent per person.
Population Afghanistan: 29 million, and $263 million spend on wireless = ~ $9.00 spent per person.
Here’s hoping that the people of Afghanistan don’t use their new mobile network, paid for by American tax payers, to surf 4chan all day and download as much pornography as possible. That or they’ll all end up on Facebook and it’ll be super easy to catch terrorists who update their status to “about to blow up local café”.
[Via: Business Week]