DUBAI: United Arab Emirate's (UAE) top mobile phone company has announced it launched a 3G network service in Afghanistan. In a press statement issued on Monday, the Abu Dhabi-based telecom operator said that it was the first such operator to offer the advanced data service in the central Asian war-torn country. Etisalat's network covers 30 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, according to its website. It did not say how much of this network will now offer 3G services. In Afghanistan, Etisalat competes with South Africa's MTN , Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) and Roshan, which is jointly owned by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, Cable & Wireless Communications Plc and Swedish group TeliaSonera. Etisalat has invested more than $300 million in Afghanistan since 2007 and has about 3.5 million customers already in the country. In February, a top executive at Roshan said his firm had 5.8 million subscribers, giving it a 35 percent market share. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/39Tdg Tags: 3G, Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan, Etisalat, UAE Section: Central Asia, Latest News, Tech, United Arab Emirates