NTC and NTA ink a deal to build Optical fiber network using RTDF

Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) and Nepal Telecom (NTC) have inked a deal for the optical fiber network in Karnali and Far-Western region. They also agree to use the Rural Telecommunication Development Fund (RTDF) to extend the optical fiber network for the Mid Hill information highway.

A program was held on January 3, 2020, Friday in the Capital for the agreement. In the program NTA Chairman, Mr. Purshottam Khanal and Managing director of Nepal Telecom, Mr. Dilliram Adhikari signed the agreement letter.

On that occasion, chairman of NTA, Mr. Khanal expects Nepal Telecom would complete the project on time that will help to establish the foundation for building Digital Nepal. He also expressed that the project will aid in the sharing of the infrastructures in Nepal.

Similarly, Managing Director of Nepal Telecom, Mr. Adhikari believed such projects would play an important role in expanding communication facilities in rural and challenging places like Karnali and Far-Western region. Similarly, he also committed to providing a good quality network that is up to the standards.

Optical fiber network

According to the agreement, they will target to build the Optical Fiber Backbone Network in the two provinces. The optical fiber will connect the districts headquarters, municipalities of Karnali province and Far-western province. Optical Fiber network expands from Musikot, Rukum to Jhulalghat, Baitadi. The fiber connects to districts of Karnali Pradesh and Sudur-paschim Pradesh in total of 20 districts including Banke and Bardiya.

In the project, they will use ADSS Fiber and Direct Buried Cable (DBC) along 2400 Km. Similarly, they will expand the optical fiber network using DWDM, router, and even microwave. The network in Mid-hill highway, East-West highway, North-South Highway and Postal highway will have a minimum of 96 core fiber. Similarly, they will use at least 48 and 24 core optical fiber in district headquarters and municipalities respectively.

Looking at the current and future demand of voice and data, the optical fiber network will have a capacity of up to 400 G with Multiple 100G’s. Similarly, Multiple 10G capacity router would be used to expand the capacity up to 100G.

The information highway built from the optical fiber network would prove to be an important landmark to fulfill the plan of digital Nepal. Similarly, it would reduce the double investment in telecommunications infrastructures through the re-use of already established infrastructures.

Such nationwide infrastructures would play an important role in making telecommunication services and technologies dependent on telecommunication (like E-governance) cheap, easily available and reliable.

Timeline

Nepal Telecom will issue a tender under the estimated amount of 3 Billions and 8.1 million through the Rural Telecommunication Development Fund (RTDF). As per the official information, the tender will be published within three months. After the contact, Ntc will complete the infrastructure project within 2 years of the contract agreement.

Nepal Telecommunication Authority and Nepal Telecom had an understanding on December 5 to agree on this project within a month. For which they have succeeded to complete the agreement in the stipulated time. The company is currently expanding optical fiber networks under Mid-Hill highway on Province 1, 2 and 3.