- Nepal Telecom (NTC) has opened bidding for a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) with a leaky feeder in the Nagdhunga tunnel..
- Via a notice, the company announced an international competitive bidding (ICB) that will bring an advanced connectivity facility to the country’s pride.
- NT will soon set up a leaky feeder cable to provide its mobile network inside the Nagdhunga tunnel..
Nepal Telecom (NTC) has opened bidding for a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) with a leaky feeder in the Nagdhunga tunnel. Via a notice, the company announced an international competitive bidding (ICB) that will bring an advanced connectivity facility to the country’s pride tunnel project.
NT will soon set up a leaky feeder cable to provide its mobile network inside the Nagdhunga tunnel. Afterwards, those who traverse through Nepal’s pioneer tunnel project will get a reliable mobile signal on their devices. It plans to deploy cellular towers on both ends of the tunnel, both connected by leaky cables (radiating coaxial cables).
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NT to set up GSM900 and LTE1800 network inside Nagdhunga Road Tunnel
As per the bidding documents, NT plans to deploy a cellular network (GSM900 and LTE1800) inside the tunnel. To start the GSM services in the tunnel, the company wants to procure a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) and Leaky Feeder Cable. The company also intends to share the same infrastructure with others for the service. Find out: Frequency bands in Nepal for 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G
The company is seeking DAS that supports multiple operators, supports 4G &2G RAN, optical distribution system, etc. From this, we can gather that the company is promoting an infrastructure sharing model for telecommunications services. So, in the future, if another operator wants to provide service inside the tunnel, for e.g., Ncell, it could use the existing infrastructure to provide its mobile services.
The bid for Nagdhunga Road Tunnel leaky feeder technology comes after recent bid activities from the company. NT postponed price bid opening for billing, but has just recently opened bidding for its IPTV platform.
Nagdhunga Road Tunnel is Nepal’s first 2-lane road tunnel and stretches 2.6 km, connecting Kathmandu to the Tribhuvan Highway. It’s likely to come into operation within a year or sooner under a pilot project. A mobile network will ensure data and voice services, enabling 100,000s of telecom services as they traverse through the milestone project.
Eligible bidders can send their bid to vie for this milestone project regarding the mobile network inside a tunnel. The deadline for submitting the bid is set for November 23, 2025.
But have you ever heard of leaky feeder technology? Let’s also learn about this technology first.
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What is leaky feeder in telecom?
In telecommunications terms, a leaky feeder provides telecom services through a special type of coaxial (radiating) cable. It integrates wireless equipment to radiate an RF signal. In terms of networks, the technology beams cellular signals to provide carrier services.
Areas that are walled by physical structures like trees, concrete, water bodies, etc., affect mobile signals. This is why the leaky feeder operates inside the tunnel with its own dedicated infrastructure to provide telecom service. Besides the tunnel, the technology is also used in mines, underground subway, large building projects, etc. Therefore, it is also known as an indoor coverage solution.
In Nepal, NTC will use leaky feeder technology to provide 4G and 2G mobile networks inside the Nagdhunga tunnel. Although this is being used in many countries abroad, it’s still a new technology in Nepal. Therefore, the company is still studying its premises before implementing it.
How will Nepal Telecom set up leaky feeder technology in the Nagdhunga-Naubise tunnel
Nepal Telecom will install mobile towers first, both at the two ends of the Nagdhunga tunnel. The radiating leaky cables will also be installed inside the tunnel connecting the tower from one end. The leaky feeder used in this tunnel has cables with small holes (openings). Signals are beamed through these holes that will provide NT 4G coverage as well as 2G services for users. After the tower and leaky cable come into operation, any mobile device or other gadgets supporting 4G or 2G will be connected to NT’s network inside the tunnel.
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When will it be launched?
Earlier, NTC spokesman Manandhar didn’t give a timeframe for the launch of its leaky feeder and DAS in the Nagdhunga tunnel route. He said that this technology is not used in Nepal yet, and NT is pioneering it in the country. Now that the bidding for the DAS with a leaky feeder is already been announced, we can expect the implementation to be done within a six-month period. Hope it is synchronous with the time for the opening of the tunnel to the public.
Earlier, Manandhar added that the company signed an agreement with the Department of Roads on Ashar 15 and proceeded with the procurement process for installing this technology. It is just the start of the entire process. But when all’s done, the ambitious tunnel project will also get high-quality telecom services from the government-backed telco, including telephone, internet services.
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Are you excited about Nepal Telecom implementing leaky feeder technology for the mobile network inside the Nagdhunga tunnel route? Tell us what you think of this development in the comment section below.
