KATHMANDU, Feb 25: STM Telecom Sanchar -- a rural telecommunication service provider -- has applied for unified license.
STM has become the third operator to approach the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), the telecom service regulator, for the license. United Telecom Limited (UTL) Smart Cell, also a rural telecom operator, had applied for the license in October and November, 2012, respectively.[break]
The government introduced unified licensing policy in May, 2012 to allow telecom firms to operate multiple services, including fixed line, GSM service and international long distance calls, through a single license.
Operators with unified license can operate different telecom services after paying a fee of Rs 357.50 million. As per the licensing conditions, the operator will have to pay Rs 20.13 billion as license renewal fee after 10 years and every five years after that.
STM Sanchar, which is also called ´Gramintel´, is the first rural telecom operator of the country. It is in operation since 2003. At present, it is providing basic subscriber line, international long distance calls, Internet and telecenter services in Nepal. The operator has already expanded its network to more than 50 districts. It is also running PCO network, rural tele-medicine and virtual community schools. According to NTA, STM has subscribers base of a little above 5,000.
Kailash Prasad Neupane, spokesperson of NTA, said STM Sanchar applied for the license on Friday. “In order to get the unified license, the operator should have fulfilled the license conditions of the regulator,” he said. “The process of awarding the license will begin once NTA verifies that its licensing conditions have been fulfilled.”
If NTA responded positively to its application, it will get 3 Mhz frequency to operate GSM service across the country.
“At present, we are verifying licensing conditions of Smart Telecom and UTL,” Neupane said, adding that NTA was at the final stage of drafting special guidelines for unified license.
Meanwhile, the government has issued an order to remove constitutional difficulties for paving the way for NTA to hold board meetings in the absence of its chairman.
A notice published in the Gazette on Thursday allows NTA board to designate one of its members to chair the meeting until the new chairman assumes office.
NTA has been without the chairman after Supreme Court issued interim order against the appointment of Digambar Jha.
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