Nepal Telecom has announced plans to shut down its 2G network on the 1800 MHz band. The company shared the plan at its 21st anniversary on Magh 22, 2081. But it won’t be the end of the 2G network for now.
Ntc Managing Director Sangita Pahadi said that the company plans to switch off 2G in one band with a focus on 4G expansion. In recent years, NT has aggressively expanded its 4G network across the country. So far, Ntc 4G has reached 98% local levels. So, it wants to spend more resources on newer technologies.
MD Pahadi also shared that there are now 1.64 crore 4G users on its network. Likewise, more customers will have access to the network in the near future.
The speculations over whether 2G or 3G network will shut down first in Nepal have remained for a long. But this is the first time that the company has formally announced a plan to discontinue the 2G network in 1800 MHz.
2G is a GSM cellular service that was first launched by Nepal Telecom. It is the first ever cellular technology introduced in Nepal. At first, the 2G was only available on 900MHz frequency band. Later, the company deployed the network in an 1800 MHz band to increase its capacity. As of now, it has 20 MHz bandwidth on the 1800 MHz band, shared by both 2G and 4G.
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Nepal Telecom to shut down 2G network on 1800 MHz band
MD Pahadi stated that Nepal Telecom will complete its 1800 MHz 2G network shutdown in FY 2081/82. She said, ” The plan is to end the 2G network on the 1800 MHz band in FY 2081/82.”
In the wake of decreasing demand for 2G and catering more capacity demand in 4G, Nepal Telecom has made such plans.
So far, the company has been using 20 MHz bandwidth in the 1800 MHz band for both 2G and 4G service. By ending the 2G network in the same band, the company can use the spectrum resource for 4G. This will further improve user experience on 4G. In telecom terms, this is called refarming. However, the company has not confirmed how it will use the resources which will be free after sunsetting the 2G in 1800MHz.
But ending 2G service on the 1800 MHz band doesn’t mean it’s complete twilight for the network. The company will continue the 2G network in the 900 MHz. For now, NT is only ending the legacy network in one band while keeping the other live.
Of course, the decision is reflective of the global trend. Various countries and telecom companies are ending 2G and 3G networks in favor of 4G and 5G networks. So, NT is likely to entirely end those legacy networks in the near future.
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Why does Ntc want to end 2G network in 1800 MHz?
Nepal Telecom has many reasons to bid farewell to the 2G network in 1800 MHz. The company says that 4G represents over 90% of its total data use. And 4G is the best network at the moment. People don’t often use 2G networks these days. The same is the case of the 3G network for data. With users decreasing on both of these networks, it wants to improve service in newer services.
At the same time, the introduction of Ntc VoLTE has made 4G more popular and useful and the latest launch of VoWiFi makes it more preferable. It lets users use data and enjoy HD voice service at the same time. There are over 58 lakh VoLTE users on the Ntc network. Therefore, more users these days prefer to stay on 4G, which demands more capacity: frequency resource being one to increase.
At the same time, the company is also working on 5G for the public and will deploy non-standalone 5G using 4G LTE gears. These scenarios also give more weight for the company to discontinue 2G network in 1800MHz. Check out: 5G SA vs NSA: How Each Deployment Differs, Pros and Cons
2G is going away!
The end is near for 2G. Once, 2G was the default network for reliable voice service became obsolete with the growth of 4G. And that’s not bad either. Also, VoLTE lets users make calls on a 4G network. Users get better services with newer networks and technologies. The Ntc VoWiFi also gives the option to enjoy HD voice over WiFi. As a result, users these days have more, efficient and improved options for voice service.
Besides, it’s also possible to call and browse the internet on VoLTE and VoWiFi. So, 2G is becoming less relevant these days. NT must be in plans to gradually phase out 2G network on both 1800 MHz and 900 MHz bands.
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Do you still use 2G as frequently and will its shutdown impact you? Do share with us in the comments below.
