NTA to connect Google Map with BTS.

May 27, 2014: The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) is planning to connect base transceiver stations (BTS) with Google Map in a bid to ease monitoring of telecom services.

It will convert BTS towers of all service-providers into Geographical Information System (GIS) and do monitoring across the country through a single server. This program has been initiated with an aim of improving quality of mobile/telephone services and keeping the information in tact in times of natural calamities, according to NTA. NTA is preparing to select the consultant within the current fiscal year and convert all BTS towers into GIS within the next fiscal year. NTA can immediately instruct service-providers for repair if a BTS tower is down at any place after the conversion.

NTA is also formulating the requisite standards to make BTS well-managed and reliable. There are no legal provisions now about how far the mobile and radio towers should be kept from a home, and capacity and height of the towers. NTA Spokesperson Kailash Prasad Neupane stated that the new directive will be prepared by paying attention to public health following discussions with the stakeholders concerned. The majority of BTS towers in Kathmandu Valley and elsewhere are erected on top of houses.

All the service-providers have been expanding their infrastructure in their own way in lack of implementation of the concept of infrastructure sharing in Nepal. This resulted in more investment and has directly affected the customers. The companies individually have to invest on infrastructure where one would have sufficed for 5/6 companies. We can divert that investment if the government were to bring the policy on sharing of infrastructure,” he elaborated.

Six companies have received permission from NTA for mobile/telephone services while 42 have taken permission for internet. There are 23.10 million customers of mobile/telephone services and 8.20 million of internet service, according to the latest Management Information System (MIS) report of NTA.
Source: Karobar Daily.