Kathmandu, July 24

The Nepal Telecom (NT) officials are optimistic that Nepal will finally start getting the Chinese internet bandwidth from August as Chinese authorities are in the last stage of giving final touches to the optical fibre laying process on its side.

According to NT officials, the Chinese authorities have started to re-locate the already laid optical fibre in areas around Lhasa after some fragments of the laid fibres were damaged and its maintenance became impossible owing to unfavourable weather conditions coupled with frequent avalanches.

“As the maintenance works of the damaged cable could not be carried out for long, operation of the cross-border internet link project was delayed over and over again. However, Chinese authorities, including China Telecom, have started works to relocate the fibre cable in areas where connections were lost earlier instead of waiting for the favourable weather to start maintenance works,” Shovan Adhikari, spokesperson for NT, said.

Stating that the China Telecom is re-locating optical fibre along 20-kilometre stretch around Lhasa, Adhikari said, “The Chinese side has assured us that the entire optical fibre laying process would be completed soon and the line would be connected to NT’s optical fibre that has already been extended up to Rasuwagadi-Kyirong border.”

However, NT is gearing up for a confirmation testing before launching the project commercially.

NT has already laid the optical fibre from Kathmandu to Rasuwagadi (approximately 90 kilometres) to link with China Telecom.

Signed between NT and China Telecom in December last year, the cross-border optical fibre link will enable Nepal to connect to the world via Hong Kong through China Telecom.

Commercial operation of this project will also end the country’s sole dependence on India for internet bandwidth. Nepal is currently linked to the global internet connectivity through Indian telecom operators via different optical fibre connections in Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Birgunj, among others.

Similarly, the Chinese bandwidth will also be an alternative source for the country to meet the growing demand of internet in Nepal. Optional bandwidth is also expected to increase competency of service providers in the country and reduce internet cost for consumers.

NT, however, has not revealed the actual volume of bandwidth that it will receive from China after the project begins commercial operation.