The operators will be allowed to use the additional frequency until the situation becomes normal, according to NTA officials.
Achyutananda Mishra, spokesperson of NTA, said NT and Ncell have also been directed to resume service in areas where their service has been affected after the earthquake.Telecommunication service are interrupted in around half of the areas in worst hit districts -- Sindhupalchowk, Dolakha, Nuwakot, Dhading, Rasuwa and Gorkha. Telecommunications service is still disrupted in Nagarkot, Lele and Sankhu areas in Kathmandu Valley.
NTA had given permission to telecom operators to provide free SMS as well as voice and data services free of cost to users within an hour of the earthquake.
Indian telecom operators Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and Airtel have been charging international calls to Nepal as local calls. To facilitate them, NTA has waived off termination charge on such calls.
"To ease telecommunications service in earthquake-hit areas , NTA in collaboration with International Telecommunication Union has provided 35 satellite phones, 10 Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) satellite-based Internet terminals, 25 solar chargers and 10 laptops and its accessories to Home Ministry via Ministry of Information and Communications," Mishra added.
NTA has also provided SMS short codes 1550, 15025 and 15100 to NT and Ncell to collect fund in PM Disaster Relief Fund through SMS campaign.
According to Jha, NTA has decided to deposit Rs 50 million, and 20 days' salary of NTA Chairman Digambar Jha, 15 days' salary of officer level staff members, and 10 days' salary of assistant officer level staff and non-gazetted officers as well as meeting incentives of five meetings of chairman and board members to the PM Disaster Relief Fund.
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