KATHMANDU, Feb 6: Nepal Telecom (NT) has decided to switch off its CDMA service within Fiscal Year 2020/21.
As most of the people today prefer GSM service and there are no further evolution and updates in CDMA technology, the NT has decided to terminate CDMA service, officials of the state-owned telecom operator said.
Speaking at a function organized to celebrate 16th anniversary of Nepal Telecom in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Dilli Ram Adhikari, managing director of Nepal Telecom, said they will start using CDMA frequency for 4G services from the coming fiscal year. "We will use frequency being used by CDMA for 4G services and eventually terminate CDMA service in the next fiscal year. It will help us to save spectrum," he added.
NTC has more than 10 million data service users
Nepal Telecom had launched CDMA service in 2006 with limited mobility in Kathmandu. The service was gradually rolled out in other parts of the country. However, there has been no evolution in CDMA service beyond 3.5G and new handsets do not support CDMA service. NT had allocated two spectrum bands of 800 MHz and 1900 MHz but CDMA service. However, it has been using only 800 MHz band for the service these days.
Along with NT, private operator United Telecom Ltd (UTL) also used to provide CDMA service. But the private company stopped the service couple of years before. Currently, NT is the only operator providing CDMA service in the country.
Radio Frequency Determination Committee had previously asked Nepal Telecom to return the CDMA spectrum after the state-owned operator launched 4G service. The committee has put a condition that Nepal Telecom returns the CDMA spectrum to get additional spectrum in 800 MHz band.
CDMA service was popular mostly in rural areas as its quality was good compared to GSM network at that time.
Nepal Telecom has expanded 4G service in all 77 districts of the country.
