View Full Version : Mobile phones in Afghanistan
NoSurrender
12th Nov 2001, 02:22
Do mobile phones work in Afghanistan, and if what what will the British Army use for comms should they ever go in?
fobotcso
12th Nov 2001, 02:55
Semaphore! Now, go and play with the traffic, there's a good boy.
BEagle
12th Nov 2001, 02:58
.......not forgetting Speckled Jim, of course!!
Self Loading Freight
12th Nov 2001, 03:38
Well, if by some mishap the Clansman doesn't work they could take a few hints from the locals. The Arabs had a working optical network from Cordoba to (I think) Libya going in the 10th century -- a chain of heliographs that could relay a message in around twenty minutes. And they used their own Speckled Jims for parcel post: one hungry chief in Morocco had his favourite Lebanese cherries delivered on the day they were ripe by tiny silk bags tied to the legs of a flock of homing pigeons. One cherry per bird (the usual allocation, I believe), and he ordered 400.
Course, things have gone downhill a bit since then. Was it £144 million the MOD spent on Bowman before realising it wasn't going to cop so much as a walkietalkie. You can get a lot of pigeons for that.
R
BEagle
12th Nov 2001, 04:47
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan all have mobile phone systems - but not Afghanistan, perhaps unsurprisingly. I guess 'TaleCell' has yet to find any customers.....
whowhenwhy
13th Nov 2001, 04:40
Red Indians (sorry) Native Americans', did very well with smoke and blankets once upon a time. I think it was about the same time that the MoD put out to tender for the Clansman replacement. Or at least that's what I heard on the old bean-tin and piece of string that we're using to communicate with each other down here in the South Atlantic at BEagle's favourite place!
:D :D
Things are always worse than they seem!
Ghost Dancer
13th Nov 2001, 12:45
Runner? Cleft stick? Full employment for all? Aircrew fitness test?
:rolleyes: :eek: :(
TheWelshOne
17th Nov 2001, 12:57
There is a good offer on at moment in Bagram airport arrivals foyer - BTali One-to-One, package comes complete with solar charger etc etc and fairly cheap rates.
VodaTal kill-as-u go and Virgin freedom also have good packages at moment, contact your local Alliance rep. Good news on Top up cards, most shops are open 6-til-Late that sell a variety of papers, mags, sweets and ammunition should you happen to run out.
Good luck boyos :D