The trend of reselling bandwidth to household users by cyber cafés, hotels and restaurants has increased to such an extent that many people feel these are the authorized places to buy Internet package. [break]
Though the reselling of bandwidth is rampant, NTA has received only one complaint so far. “We have heard that many individuals and organizations are reselling bandwidth. But we have received only one complaint against far,” Ananda Raj Khanal, director of NTA, said.
According to Khanal, NTA recently took action against Hyperlink Cyber Café, Baglung after it was found involved in reselling bandwidth without signing formal agreement with the ISP.
A source at the NTA said the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had instructed the telecom regulator to look into the issue. CIAA directed NTA after it complaint against the cyber café.
“We slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 plus compensation amounting to Rs 137,000 on the cyber café and asked the promoter to close it after we found that it was breaching existing laws,” Kailash Prasad Neupane, spokesperson of NTA, told Republica.
Along with reselling bandwidth, the cyber café was also found involved in providing VoIP services.
Binaya Bohara, president of Internet Service Providers´ Association of Nepal (ISPAN), welcomed the move. “No one can resell bandwidth without getting approval of the service providers,” Bohara said.
Clause 47 Sub-clause 2 of the Nepal Telecommunication Act 1997 states that if any person operates telecommunications service without obtaining the license pursuant to the Act or operates the telecommunications service without complying with the terms and conditions mentioned on the license, the authority may slap a fine of up to Rs 500,000 to such person and may also cause to stop such act.
Likewise, Sub-clause 3 of the Act states that if a person misuses or unauthoritatively uses telecommunications service or causes loss or damage to any property related to the telecommunications service, the authority may realize the amount of such loss or damage and may impose a fine according to the amount.
According to Neupane, this is the first time that NTA has taken action against individuals or firms reselling bandwidth. “It is difficult for us to monitor the market. But if anyone files complaint at NTA, it will investigate the case and hand appropriate punishment to the wrong-doers,” he added.
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