Kathmandu, January 18

The Development Committee of the Legislature-Parliament today directed Nepal Telecom (NT) to expand its 4G service throughout the country within October. Similarly, the committee also asked NT to roll out the 4G service to its pre-paid customers as soon as possible.

NT had officially launched 4G (fourth generation) from January 1 in Kathmandu Valley and some parts of Pokhara. The telecommunication sector regulator — Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) — had issued 4G licence to NT on October 2.

“NT should expand the latest telecommunication technology and services across the country to its customers without delay. We are hopeful that NT will expand the recently launched 4G across the country within October — a year of getting 4G licence and launch the service for its pre-paid subscribers at the earliest,” Rabindra Adhikari, chairman of the committee said urging NTA to support NT in expanding the latest telecommunication services across the country.

Similarly, the panel also directed NT to completely resolve problems like weak network, congestion and recharge problems that NT users often face within a one-month period.

“It seems NT is more focused on quantity than quality works. As NT has garnered good trust among the public, it should maintain its legacy by delivering quality services,” added Adhikari.

On the occasion, Kamini Rajhandari, managing director of NT, said that NT is currently expanding its Base Transceiver Station (BTS) in different parts of the country to deliver quality network and services to its subscribers. Informing that NT is also expanding its fibre-to-the-home and optical fibre network across the country, Rajbhandari assured that the operator would go all out to increase the quality in its services and expand its 4G service across the country within October.

Meanwhile, the Development Committee also directed NTA to effectively use funds from the Rural Telecommunication Development Fund (RTDF) to develop telecommunication infrastructure in remote areas of the country.

Citing that RTDF has almost Rs 15 billion in its basket while the situation of telecommunication infrastructure in the country is pitiable Adhikari said, “We expect NTA to soon develop a proper roadmap to utilise the RTDF budget and initiate telecommunication infrastructure development works.

41,000 NT users subscribe to 4G

KATHMANDU: More than 41,000 post-paid users of Nepal Telecom (NT) have subscribed to 4G services from NT until Tuesday after it was first launched by the company on January 1.

Kamini Rajbhandari, managing director of NT, informed that the number of NT’s post-paid users subscribing 4G service is increasing every day in Kathmandu Valley and Pokhara.

NT had launched the 4G service initially targeting its post-paid subscribers in Kathmandu Valley and New Road and Lakeside of Pokhara. NT has almost 350,000 post-paid subscribers in the Valley and Pokhara. Similarly, Rajbhandari also informed that NT is planning to make the 4G service available to its pre-paid subscribers from February 4.