Kathmandu, October 17

Nepal Telecom (NT) will start to offer the much-awaited 4G service to its consumers from December 15.

Under its work plan to begin 4G service, which it submitted to the telecommunication regulator — Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) — NT has mentioned that it will be able to launch 4G service from December 15 in different areas of Kathmandu and Pokhara after receiving NTA’s nod.

Among three telecommunication companies — NT, Ncell and Smart Telecom — NTA on October 2 had asked NT to present its roll out plan to operate 4G service in Nepal before it would issue the licence to NT to begin the service.

“Under the plan that the company submitted couple of days ago, NT has said that it would begin 4G services simultaneously from Kathmandu and Pokhara from December 15,” NTA Spokesperson Min Prasad Aryal told The Himalayan Times, adding that NT has said that it would launch the service using the 1,800 MHz frequency currently being used to provide 3G service to consumers.

According to Aryal, NTA will soon approve NT’s action plan to begin 4G service and issue 4G licence to the company. “NTA board meeting will approve NT’s action plan after going through it thoroughly,” added Aryal.

Meanwhile, NT Spokesperson Pratibha Vaidya said that NT is ready to introduce 4G service to its consumers as the 4G service can be launched with its available infrastructure that is being used for 3G and few additional software. “We are optimistic that NTA will give us the permission to begin 4G service soon,” Vaidya said, adding NT will gradually roll out the 4G service to other cities once it is launched.

NTA, however, has not decided on the proposal of private telecommunication operator Ncell to launch the 4G service in the country. Though the Frequency Management Department of NTA had recommended NTA’s board to approve the proposal of both Ncell and NT to introduce 4G service, NTA has delayed taking a decision for Ncell.

The 4G service is the successor to existing 3G data service. The 4G is a wireless telecommunication technology that delivers fastest data service on mobile devices.

New joint spokesperson

KATHMANDU: Shovan Adhikari has been designated as the joint spokesperson of Nepal Telecom (NT). Issuing a statement on Monday NT’s Spokesperson Pratibha Vaidya said that the state-owned telecommunications utility had entrusted Adhikari with this responsibility. He was earlier serving as the deputy manager in the NT’s International Service Directorate. - RSS