KATHMANDU: United Telecom Ltd (UTL) has increased its seven-digit number to 10-digit from Thursday.

The new format of 10-digit starting with 97 is followed by 2 — the operator code for UTL — and area code with one digit code for Kathmandu and two digits out side the valley for limited mobility service of UTL’s prepaid and post paid mobile phones was allocated one-and-a-half year ago.

“The 10-digit number requirement for UTL mobile service that was allocated long ago is being implemented,” said Ananda Raj Khanal, director of Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA).

“Along with the 10-digit number UTL can accommodate more subscribers in its network, Khanal

said adding that UTL network can increase its number of subscriber as it can accommodate more with 10-digit number.

Meanwhile, Madan Singh, general manager at the UTL said that with the new 10-digit number UTL would be more competitive. UTL has at present about 1.55 lakh users.

Along with 10-digit number, UTL has also started its Short Message Service (SMS) service with Nepal Telecom (NT), and Spice Nepal Pvt Ltd (SNPL) — the provider of Mero Mobile.

“Its been 15 days since we have started SMS services with other service providers,” Singh informed adding that UTL already had the facility to send SMS but it was not implemented. “Now UTL users can send SMS to NT and Mero Mobile holders,” he added.

SMS charges (excluding tax)

UTL UTL Rs 0.50

UTL NT Rs 1.00

UTL Mero Rs 1.00

NT balance transfer service

KATHMANDU: It has been 10-days that the balance transfer facility of Nepal Telecom (NT) has been halted due to technical snag. Balance transfer facility in GSM prepaid mobile service was halted since July 7. Its not the first time NT’s balance transfer facility has failed. “It’s a technical problem and we are undergoing its maintenance,” said Surendra Bahadur Thike, spokesperson of NT. It’s been around one year that NT brought security system under its balance transfer service. The balance transfer system comes under the USSB technology. Due to misuse of the balance transfer system under USSB technology, NT included security code while making balance transfer.

However the balance transfer system again faced the same problem, which NT states would be solved soon. — HNS