• NT’s optical fibre is being laid in every nook and corner of the country

Kathmandu, September 25 The meeting of the Development Committee under the Legislature-Parliament today instructed the bodies concerned to ensure that all the wards of rural municipalities had access to free internet services within October 31, 2018. The meeting held in the office of the committee at Singha Durbar issued the instruction in the light of mandatory development and promotion of information and technology for rapid growth of local levels as the country enters the federal set up. The directive comes at a time when the government is supposed to avail free and fast internet services to users in all villages in the country within two years. As per Nepal Telecommunications Authority, the expansion of optical fibre is being expedited to ensure free internet services for the public across the country within a year. Committee Chair Rabindra Adhikari said the instructions were to make sure telecommunications and internet services penetrated all 753 local units in the country. A year has passed since an agreement to instal optical fibre in three provinces namely Provinces 1, 2 and 3 with an intent to expand broadband internet services in rural areas. But NT failed to work in compliance with the agreement, said Adhikari. Minister for Information and Communications Mohan Bahadur Basnet reaffirmed his commitment to address issues relating to NT’s poor network across the country. Former deputy prime minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi stressed the need to amend the Telecommunication Act. The government has allocated Rs 4.98 billion for development and promotion of information and communications for the fiscal year 2017-18.