The government has long been proclaiming to install telecommunication networks in all the village development committees in Nepal. Yet, of the total of 3,914 VDCs, more than 500 VDCs have not seen a single fixed or cell phone line.
"The problem lies in difficult terrain of the country," says Anup Ranjan Bhattarai, chief of NT´s satellite division. To counter this challenge NT is now relying on satellite links to expand both fixed phone and cell phone networks.
In less than two months, NT has installed VSATs in 10 VDCs in western and mid-western Nepal to operate fixed phone service. NT can issue up to 4 fixed phone lines and an additional line for internet connectivity from each of these mobile devices.
"We install the remote devices (VSATs) on on-demand basis," informs Bhattarai. "A formal request can be placed by anyone - the VDC, the district development committee or an individual." Then a refundable deposit of Rs 10,000 and installation cost of Rs 10,000 have to be deposited. The minimum per minute tariff rate is Rs 3 and a minimum rental fee for private users is Rs 3,000 per month.
"We are now generating awareness about this technology and requesting the VDC and the DDC chiefs to place orders," Bhattarai says.
NT is also distributing cell phone lines using the same technology. So far, it has laid cell phone networks in 12 VDCs in eastern, western and mid-western Nepal operating on both the GSM and the CDMA technologies.
One of the latest achievements, under this project, is installation of mobile network in Khumjung of Mt Everest area. Mobile service is already operational in Namche Bazar, the base camp of Mt Everest. "We are now planning to extend this network to Kalapatthar area," Bhattarai says. "Once we reach there, we hope, it will enable mountaineers to make a phone calls from the top of Mt Everest."
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