Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has granted Nepal Telecom (NTC) 5 MHz frequency in the 800 MHz band (aka Band 20). The Acting Chairman of the Authority, Arjun Ghimire, made the decision that gives the national telco more resources to improve its quality of services and capacity improvement.
The former Chairman Bhupendra Bhandari had held up the allocation of the said frequency to the company. However, Bhandari and 4 members have lost their offices at NTA due to a special ordinance promulgated by the President just recently. Currently, the Communication Ministry has opened a vacancy for the NTA chairman post.
The Radio Frequency Policy Determination Committee under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology earlier decided to allocate the 800 MHz band to service providers through a frequency auction, Technologykhabar reports.
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NTA confirms 5 MHz band frequency to Nepal Telecom
NTA spokesperson Min Prasad Aryal informed that a decision has been made to give a 5 MHz frequency to Nepal Telecom.
“A decision has been made to give a 5 MHz frequency in the 800 MHz band. But there are some conditions attached to it.” But he didn’t share the specifics. The price of the 800 MHz spectrum is 13.5 million NPR (1.35 crore) per MHz (unpaired) as the Radio Frequency policy 2080.
Also: Frequency bands in Nepal for Mobile | Cellular Spectrum
Benefits for Nepal Telecom of more 5 MHz frequency in 800 MHz band
Currently Nepal Telecom holds 10 MHz spectrum in 800 MHz. With additional 5 MHz frequency in its 800 MHz band, the total bandwidth of 800 MHz becomes 15 MHz. With which, Nepal Telecom can improve its:
- 4G Speed and Capacity
- Improved indoor signal
- Better connectivity in rural and remote parts
- Stable and more consistent performance
Regarding the data, NTC’s carrier aggregation (CA) for 4G has already brought some improvements to users. However, there still remains space for further improvement. The additional spectrum can help with that, with more increase in the data speed across the country for CA and non-CA users. Low frequency band (<1GHz) like 800 MHz spectrum having better signal penetration, is very important for a telco to improve mobile network in remote parts of the country like Nepal. Details on Why low frequency band important for a mobile carrier of Nepal?
Currently, NT is close to achieving full coverage of 4G across all local levels. You can check out NTC 4G coverage for more details. Besides signals, it is also improving service quality, including calls and data services. Use of the 5 MHz frequency in its 800 MHz band means it now has more resources to promote its quality for consistent and better-performing services. So, with the implementation of the additional 5 MHz frequency in 800 MHz, you can expect improved 4G speed and overall quality of service.
Do read: Factors affecting 4G speed in Nepal
Tell us what you think of Ntc getting 5 MHz additional frequency in 800 MHz band, will it improve its services?
