Kathmandu, September 25

State-owned Nepal Telecom (NT) is all set to launch its 4G network service across major cities of the country ahead of Dashain.

As per NT, it has already completed all the preparations for the rollout of 4G service in around 25 major areas outside the Valley within a week.

“The test transmission across the selected areas has been carried out smoothly so far. We are now almost ready to launch our 4G service outside the Valley,” said Pratibha Vaidya, spokesperson for NT.

According to her, test transmission in around 32 districts of all seven provinces is going on at the moment. As per the target to complete 4G expansion by this year, NT has been expediting necessary works to materialise its plan, Vaidya added.

Though the expansion of the 4G service will be launched initially from cities, NT plans to take the service to every part of the country, hence the service will be launched in around 100 places by the end of this year.

“As NT has completed installing different base transceiver station (BTS) towers, the focus is now on transmission link,” she said, adding, “The areas will be selected within this week and we will start providing the services.”

The installation of core network in Kathmandu, Hetauda, Butwal, Nepalgunj and Biratnagar has been completed so far.

As per NT, over 6.5 million subscribers of NT could benefit from the new 4G expansion plan. Along with the expansion of 4G service, NT expects to strengthen its position in the data market.

NT has divided the 4G expansion project into three categories — Network I, Network II and Core Network. While the firm has awarded Network I and Network II categories of the project to CCSI, ZTE Corporation has been awarded the contract to develop necessary core network and radio access network for the expansion of 4G or Long Term Evolution (LTE) service.

NT introduced 4G in January 2017, becoming the first telecom company in the country to roll out the service.