Telecommunications in Nepal

Mahabir Pun hand-making a satellite dish in Nepal

In Nepal, operating any form of telecommunication service dates back to B.S. 1970. However, telecom service was formally provided mainly after the establishment of MOHAN AKASHWANI in B.S. 2005. Later as per the plan formulated in the First National Five year plan (2012-2017 BS); Telecommunication Department was established in B.S. 2016. To modernize the telecommunications services and to expand the services, during third five-year plan (2023-2028), Telecommunication Department was converted into Telecommunications Development Board in B.S. 2026.

After the enactment of Communications Corporation Act 2028, it was formally established as fully owned Government Corporation called Nepal Telecommunications Corporation in B.S. 2032 for the purpose of providing telecommunications services to Nepalese People. After serving the nation for 29 years with great pride and a sense of accomplishment, Nepal Telecommunication Corporation was transformed into a Nepal Doorsanchar Company Limited (NDCL) from Baisakh 1, 2061. NDCL is a company registered under the companies Act 2053 with 85% government share. However, the company is known to the general public by the brand name Nepal Telecom (NT) as a registered trademark.

Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) is the regulatory body of telecommunications in the country. According to the latest figures, 8 companies have been licensed to operate voice based telephony services out of which 5 are heavily invested by foreign companies.^[1] The investment market of telecom is a subject of interest for many foreign companies and NTA itself as it has to prepare the regulations on hand.^[2]

According to the latest Management Information system (MIS) report of Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), 97.65 percent of 26.49 million people in the country have access to telephone service.The report includes data of up to mid-December, 2014. Telephone penetration increased by 12.88 percentage points in the one-year period. It stood at 84.77 percent in mid-December, 2013. - See more at: http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=92254#sthash.vBVChj0G.dpuf

Some milestones:

The first telephone exchange was established in Kathmandu in 1960. Since 1960 to 2004, the state-owned Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC), also now known as Nepal Telecom, or Nepal Doorsanchar Company Limited (NDCL) had been the monopoly telecom carrier. Now, other competing telecom service providers are United Telecom Limited (UTL), and Ncell.

Telephones - PSTN: 644,347 (May 2013), CDMA^[3]

Telephones - Cellular service available by Nepal Telecom, formerly known as Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) and Spice Nepal (Pvt.) Ltd.

Telephone system: Good telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone network
Domestic: Microwave + Optical Fiber
International: Radiotelephone Communications; microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Mobile Subscribers: 18,137,771 (May 2013)^[3]

Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 20, shortwave 1 (January 2000)

Radios: 20,00,000 (2006)

Television broadcast stations: 19 (37 registered) (2012)

Televisions: 130,000 (1997)

Registered Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 42 (May 2013)^[3]

Internet users: 6,685,427 (May 2013)^[3]

Country code : 00977

Internet sites:

External links

• WiMAX in Nepal finally a reality – Nepal Telecom launches WiMAX
• Official website of Nepal Telecom
• Official website of Ncell
• Telecommunications in Nepal related articles from a Nepalese technology website TechSansar

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