Karim Khoja, CEO of Afghanistan wireless carrier Telecom Development Company Afghanistan Ltd. (TDCA), also known as Roshan, will keynote the annual awards banquet of the Radio Club of America.

Khoja’s involvement in the Afghani telecommunications sector began in May 2002 as a volunteer consultant to AKFED in an initiative to install a nationwide private-communications infrastructure. In January 2003, Khoja was appointed CEO of Roshan. Under his leadership, Roshan grew to be Afghanistan’s largest wireless provider in just one year.

In his address, Khoja will detail how Roshan has coped with the problems of electrical-utility service, network-equipment and handset supply in five languages or more; customer service; training and healthcare; and his view of a peaceful future for Afghanistan and how cellular communications will play a part in a country ravaged by war. One aspect is consistent: 99 percent of Roshan's services are prepaid. As Khoja recently said in a published interview, "Try going and collecting a postpaid bill from one of the Afghans with an AK-47. It's a bit difficult."

Khoja has served in senior management positions in national and multinational telecommunications companies for more than 15 years. He has nurtured startup businesses from infancy through development. As president and CEO, he has led several GSM startup companies into becoming major market players. He was the founding CEO of Mobilink ( Pakistan), the chairman and CEO of EXI Wireless Inc., and a management board member of COO Croatian Telecommunication.

Mal Gurian, a President Emeritus of RCA and its banquet chairman, said the banquet is open to members, guests and non-members. For information and reservations, contact Gerri Hopkins at Club headquarters: Radio Club of America, 10 Drs. James Parker Blvd., Suite 103, Red Bank, NJ 07701­-1500 or telephone ­732-­842-5070.

Sean Maloney, Exec VP of Intel Corp will be awarded the Lee de Forest Award for his leadership in the creation of WiMAX. Sir Angus Tait will receive the Fred M. Link Award; Anthony J. F. Clement to receive the Barry Goldwater Amateur Radio Award; Raymond C. Trott, P.E. to receive the President's Award; Richard Reichler to receive the Special Services Award; the first annual NPSTC's Richard DeMello Award for Public Safety to be announced at the Annual Banquet.