Surendra Thike, spokesperson of Nepal Telecom, said the telecom giant would possibly launch the service from Thursday. NT plans to distribute 175,000 postpaid 3G SIM cards in Pokhara and Kathmandu. [break]
NT had introduced 3G for the first time in South Asia in 2007. The service was launched as a trial version in Kathmandu Valley on prepaid connections. But the coverage area was limited due to only eight Base Tower Station (BTS) for the service. A total of 672 users are using 3G facility at present, according to Thike.
The main feature of 3G service is video conversation. GPRS connection in 3G service is fast than other connections. 3G users can also watch television in their mobile sets, according to Thike.
Thike said only a few people are using 3G service due to lack of mobility in more areas. “Our experiment was successful and we are encouraged by the outcomes. We hope more people will buy 3G connections now,” Thike said.
As a part of its expansion plan, NT has installed 63 BTS between Kathmandu and Pokhara.
Among South Asian countries, only Sri Lanka has launched 3G service. India is doing groundwork to launch the service.
Rate for 3G postpaid
If you are currently using postpaid connection of NT, you can have 3G connection using your existing number. Thike said NT will provide 3G connection at Rs 4,745, which includes deposit, ownership tax, activation charge and registration charge.
According to NT, the charge for voice, GPRS and Short Message Text (SMS) on 3G connection is the same as in 2G. The monthly rental for 3G postpaid connection is the same as the existing postpaid connection - Rs 300 per month.
The video call tariff has been set at Rs 4 per minute and the multimedia messaging (MMS) charge has been fixed at Rs 2.50 per message. The charge per MMS in 3G prepaid has been fixed at Rs 5.
No extra fee for recharge card
Nepal Telecom´s prepaid subscribers will no longer need to pay extra amount while buying recharge cards. Subscribers will now be able to buy recharge cards at face value of the cards. According to Thike, talk time worth two percent of the face value, however, would be deducted as commission for the sellers.
Call within same zone to be ´local´
Nepal Telecom is doing groundwork to make all calls made within a zone as local class. According to NT sources, all calls made within a zone would be termed local from April. “We have forwarded the proposal to our board of directors. Our board members have responded positively to the proposal,” a source at the NT told myrepublica.com.
Customers have to pay Re 1, exclusive of taxes, for every local call. NT has fixed two minutes as a single call during office hours. However, it allocated four minutes for a call made during mornings and evenings. Likewise, it allocates eight minutes for a call from 10 p.m. till 6 a.m.
“The new provision will create uniformity in our services within the same zone," the source added.
Under the new plan, calls made between PSTN to PSTN phone and CDMA to CDMA phone can enjoy the new provision.
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