Kathmandu, May 21

Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has said that it will launch 15 different broadband projects after the local elections are over with a target to increase people’s access to internet.

These 15 broadband projects will target the broadband connection and internet facilities in 61 districts of the country besides the 14 districts that were highly affected by the earthquake, according to NTA officials. NTA has already awarded broadband projects to internet service providers like Nepal Telecom (NT), WorldLink and Subisu to expand broadband services in the earthquake affected districts.

“We have developed broadband projects for 61 districts under the Rural Telecommunication Development Fund (RTDF) to increase broadband network across the country,” said Min Prasad Aryal, spokesperson for NTA, adding that these projects will be awarded to internet service providers

after the local elections.

As per NTA, each broadband project will cover four districts with one project covering

five districts.

These projects will be assigned the responsibility to expand broadband internet connection in every district headquarter, municipality, village development committee (VDC), education institution, health institution and public area, among others of the respective districts.

Moreover, Aryal said that NTA has issued tender notice for broadband projects in different districts of Karnali and tender documents are being finalised for other district projects. After being awarded the project from NTA, service providers will be required to complete the project within one year.

NTA, at present, is gearing up to build infrastructure for internet across the country to meet the ambitious target envisioned by the Broadband Policy to expand internet facilities across all VDCs by 2020. In September last year, NTA had awarded a contract worth Rs four billion to Nepal Telecom to lay optical fibre along the Mid-Hill Highway.

Similarly, NTA recently awarded a contract to United Telecom Ltd (UTL) to lay optical fibre in different parts in Provinces 4 and 5. Similarly, NTA has already issued tender notice for a project to lay

optical fibre in Provinces 6 and 7. “We will soon award the project for Provinces 6 and 7,” added Aryal.

NTA is running these projects under RTDF. Telecom and internet service providers in the country are required to contribute two per cent of their annual profit to RTDF.