ICT Start-up and Innovation Mela

Living with ICT magazine is organising ICT Start-up and Innovation Mela on December 20 and 21 in Kathmandu.
Earlier, the event was organised out of the valley. The event is being organised with an aim to promote products developed by startups related with information technology and innovation, according to the organiser. “There will be around 50 stalls of start-ups from across the country.”
Rockets, drones, and other software developed by Nepalis will be displayed during the event, the organiser said, adding that there will be workshops on artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT) and cloud technology, start-ups and entrepreneurship will also be conducted during the event. “We expect around 10,000 visitors at the event.”

ADB's first satellite financing to expand internet access in Asia and Pacific

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $50 million agreement with Kacific Broadband Satellites International Limited (Kacific) to provide affordable satellite-based, high-speed broadband internet connections to countries in Asia and the Pacific, especially in remote areas of small island nations in the Pacific and larger island nations like Indonesia and the Philippines. This is ADB’s first satellite financing.
The Asia-Pacific Remote Broadband Internet Satellite Project will help make broadband internet connections more widely available to countries in the region, where more than 2 billion people do not have reliable internet access due to inadequate infrastructure, geographical challenges, and the high cost of services.
“Better access to reliable, high-speed internet can help improve education services, expand access to information, attract investments, reduce rural–urban development gaps, enhance trade and connectivity, and stimulate local economies,” said ADB director general for Private Sector Operations Michael Barrow. “It will also help improve communication, especially during emergencies and times of disaster when terrestrial networks might be damaged.”
“ADB’s role was key in getting this transaction closed,” said Kacific Founder and chief executive Christian Patouraux. “ADB’s involvement has helped secure the necessary financing for this highly developmental project,” he said, adding that the benefits of connectivity are life-changing, from increased tourism, access to information, financial services, to health care and education for many remote communities in the region.
The project will support the construction, launch, and operation of a shared geostationary earth orbit, high-throughput satellite. Kacific-1 is scheduled to be launched by SpaceX in December 2019 and will be operational in early 2020.
The financing comprises loans from ADB and the Leading Asia’s Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP), which is administered by ADB. Established in March 2016 with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, LEAP is one of ADB’s cofinancing vehicles dedicated to private sector infrastructure in Asia and the Pacific.
ADB will be working with GuarantCo, a Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) company, to guarantee additional private cofinancing for the project. GuarantCo provides credit solutions for infrastructure development in lower income countries in Africa and Asia and is funded by the governments of the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, and Sweden through the PIDG Trust and the Netherlands through FMO, the Dutch Development Bank, and the PIDG Trust. PIDG is a development and finance organisation delivering pioneering infrastructure in the poorest and most fragile countries.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. In 2018, it made commitments of new loans and grants amounting to $21.6 billion. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members; 49 from the region.

ISPs to hike 13 per cent in internet fees from July 17

The Internet Service Providers Association of Nepal (ISPAN) is increasing internet fees by 13 per cent with effective from July 17 as the government failed to implement the previous agreement reached with them. As a result, the internet subscribers will have to bear additional burden of at least Rs 100 on a minimum package, while other internet packages will be costlier.
ISPs had decided to raise internet fee by 13 per cent – in mid-July last year – following the government’s decision to impose 13 per cent telecommunication service charge (TSC) on internet services with effective from the beginning of the current fiscal year. However, they revoked the decision after the government’s assurance of subsidising 6.5 per cent of the TSC and waive TSC on internet wires and routers, leased line data connectivity and repair costs. The government had also assured the ISPs that it would share half of the TSC burden imposed on internet services.
But the government failed to walk the talk of implementation of sharing 50 per cent of TSC imposed on internet services which has forced the ISPs to hike the cost, according to chairman of ISPAN Bhoj Raj Bhatta.
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has however urged them to discuss before putting additional financial burden on to customers. The government has brought the policy to increase the access of internet by bringing the price down.

Government rolls back 13 per cent tax on internet fee

The government today rolled back its decision to raise internet fees by 13 per cent from 11 per cent.
This is the second time the government has rolled back its decision – announced in the budget for the current fiscal year – after West Seti. The government had – against the agreement between the Chinese company and Investment Board of Nepal – in the budget for the current fiscal year claimed to construct West Seti on its own. However, the Chinese government protested claiming that it is going to construct the hydropower project as the agreement has not yet been terminated. The government through the investment board – which has the Prime Minister as its chair – rolled back the decision to construct on its own and reassured China that the hydel project will be constructed by the Chinese company as according to the agreement.
Likewise, the government rolled back the decision to hike tax on internet fee after a meeting between the internet service providers and Ministry of Industry and Communications today.
The internet service providers will not charge additional 13 per cent tax levied by the Nepal Telecom (NT) now, according to the agreement. "They will pay the telecommunications service fee to the government from the amount they have been charging to the customers."
The agreement will be implemented for those customers, who have been taking the service only for home service. The corporate customers, however, still have to pay the 13 per cent tax, though the internet is not the end product and is a tool that could boost the productivity and also profit, which will be returned back to the government. The government will get more benefit, if it decreases the tax than increase.
The government earlier had formed a committee comprising internet service providers, Nepal Telecom (NT) and ministry officials.

Nepal ends India's Internet monopoly

The commercial operation of Nepal-China optical fiber link has begun from today, ending India's monopoly in cyber connectivity network.
The landlocked Nepal was totally dependent on India for access to the worldwide web through connections at Biratnagar, Bhairahawa and Birgunj, for which it pays a substantial sum as fees and royalties but Nepal Telecom (NT) and China Telecom Global today launched their services giving Nepal an option.
The information and communication minister Mohan Bahadur Basnet and Chinese ambassador Yu Hong inaugurated the new optical fibre link during a ceremony in Kathmandu.
The telecom companies had finished the laying of optical fibre cables between Kerung in China and Rasuwagadi in Nepal, about 50 km north of Kathmandu before the launching of the connectivity. A successful test of the link was conducted last week before it became operational on Friday.
"It will give Nepal an alternative to India for cyber connectivity and ensure uninterrupted connections," Pratibha Vaidya, Nepal Telecom spokesperson said, adding that Nepali consumers can now look forward to a reliable service. He noted that infrastructure had also been created to extend the Chinese railway network to Nepal.
Ambassador Yu, on the occasion, said China is the second largest investor in Nepal and also send many tourists to the country.
Nepal Telecom (NT), the government-owned telecom service provider, has now acquired bandwidth from China Telecom Global Limited, with its head office in Hong Kong. NT signed an agreement with the Chinese company in December 2016 to acquire bandwidth.
Nepal’s has a 25-GBPS link with India while the Chinese link is 1.5 GBPS. "The cost of internet services will remain the same," she said, adding that Nepal has been connected with China at only one point now, which will be increased in the future.
According to a report from Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), more than 61 percent of Nepal population of more than 26 million is connected to the internet, mostly through mobile devices.

Nepal improves ICT ranking

Nepal has improved its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ranking to 118 out of 139 countries with a score of 3.2, according to the Global Information Technology Report 2016 launched recently by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Of the 10 pillars under 4 sub-indices, Nepal fared better in affordability but worst in economic impact and infrastructure. Nepal ranked 110th with the score of 3.5 in the Environment sub-index and pillars that includes political and regulatory environment (at 114 with 3.2 score) and business and innovation environment (at 99 with 3.9 score), whereas the country ranked is in 106th position in Readiness sub-index and pillar with 3.9 score that includes infrastructure (at 130 with 1.9 score), affordability (at 30 with 6.1 score) and skills (at 115 with a score of 3.6).
Likewise, Nepal ranked 129th with a score of 2.6 in the Usage sub-index and pillars that includes individual usage (at 117 with a score of 2.2), business usage (at 128 with a score of 3) and government usage (at 129 with a score of 2.7).
The survey asked questions for responses on a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 was the worst possible outcome and 7 is the best, according to a press note issued by the World Economic Forum.
Similarly, in Impact sub-index and pillars, Nepal ranked 128 with a score of 2.7 that includes economic impacts (at 136 with a score of 2.3) and social impacts (at 120 with a score of 3.1).
Likewise, in the availability of latest technology, Nepal is in 125th position out of 143 countries. However the country is ranked 35th in total tax rate pillar, 82nd in intensity of local competition and 114th in secure internet server.
Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Israel, Singapore, the Netherlands and the United States are the world leaders when it comes to generating economic impact from investments in information and communications technologies (ICT), according to the report. On average, this group of high-achieving economies at the pinnacle of the report's Networked Readiness Index (NRI) economic impact pillar score 33 percent higher than other advanced economies and 100 percent more than emerging and developing economies. These seven countries are all known for being early and enthusiastic adopters of ICT and their emergence is significant as it demonstrates that adoption of ICTs –  coupled with a supportive enabling environment characterised by sound regulation, quality infrastructure and ready skills supply among other factors – can pave the way to wider benefits, the report added.
In prepaid mobile cellular tariffs – that is average per-minute cost of different types of mobile cellular calls (PPP $) – Nepal is ranked 15 in world and 5 in South Asia, and in fixed broadband Internet tariffs that is monthly subscription charge for fixed (wired) broadband Internet service (PPP $), Nepal ranks 29.
Likewise, Nepal is ranked at 109th position in Internet and telephony sectors competition index – that that is level of competition index for Internet services, international long distance services, and mobile telephone services on a 0-to-2 (best) scale – with a score of 1.29.
Under households with a personal computer Nepal ranked 119 among the 139 countries, whereas the country is in 127th position in households with Internet access.

Networked Readiness Index 2015 (out of 143) – 118 – 3.2
Networked Readiness Index 2014 (out of 148) – 123 – 3.1
Networked Readiness Index 2013 (out of 144) – 126 – 2.9

Internet base grows to 7.66 million in November

The internet subscriber base stood at 7.66 million in mid-November, up from 7.40 million in mid-October, according to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA).

The internet penetration rate has been up to 28.92 per cent in mid-November versus 27.92 per cent a month earlier, it said, adding that Ncell witnessed its mobile internet base (GPRS, Edge,WCDMA) go up to 3.80 million from 3.65 million a month earlier, whereas UTL's EV-DO internet base was stable at 99,265 and Nepal Telecom's total internet base stood at 3.68 million. The Nepal Telecom's dial-up base slipped to 4,765 from 4,770 but its ADSL base was up at 106,970 from 103,462 in October. It also served 3.43 million mobile internet subscribers, up from 3.31 million, and 136,573 EV-DO subscribers, the same as reported a month ago.

Nepal Telecom further reported 5,382 customers for its new Wimax service, up from 4,451 a month earlier, the regulatory authority's monthly report stated, adding that other ISPs served 89,216 internet customers, down slightly from 89,219 reported in October.

Nepal betters in internet download speed: Ookla

The internet infrastructure seems to be improving in the country with the increasing penetration rate.

The average download speed in Nepal was Nepal 5.06Mbps – among the 186 countries – ranking the country at 117^th position, whereas India has 4.18Mbps with 130th position, according to Ookla's Net Index that revealed that the average download speed in Nigeria was 5.14Mbps, Cambodia had 4.66Mbps, Laos had 4.73Mbps, Bhutan had 4.41Mbps, and Zimbabwe had 4.20Mbps.

Hong Kong – that secured the first position – has 71.22Mbps, Singapore at 52.75Mbps, Romania at 50.26Mbps, South Korea at 47.20Mbps and Sweden at 42.35Mbps in terms of download speeds, it revealed. "The US ranked 31 with an average download speed of 20.74Mbps, while the global average was 16.20Mbps."

Afghanistan, Malawi, Cuba, Benin and Gambia are at the bottom with average download speeds of 1.13Mbps, 1.16Mbps, 1.21Mbps, 1.36Mbps and 1.46Mbps, respectively.

However, in terms of upload speeds, Nepal's position was at 85^th position with an average upload speed of 3.34Mbps.

Likewsie, Hong Kong posted the highest average upload speed at 58.99Mbps, followed by South Korea at 40.06Mbps, Singapore at 37.14Mbps, Macau at 36.48Mbps and Andorra at 35.98Mbps.

According to Ookla – the company that offers Speedtest.net and its mobile apps that help in comparing and ranking consumer download speeds around the globe – the data is based on over 1.5 billion records.

The results are based on millions of recent test results from Speedtest.net," the company claimed, adding that the value is the rolling mean throughput in Mbps over the past 30 days where the mean distance between the client and the server is less than 300 miles.

Nepal's internet user base has grown to 7.20 million in mid-September, up from 7.14 million in mid-August, according to Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) that has revealed that the internet penetration rate stood at 27.18 per cent, up from 26.93 per cent a month earlier.

China's internet user base to hit 800 million by 2015

China's internet user base will reach 800 million in 2015, reports People's Daily citing China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

 As explained by MIIT minister Miao Wei, as the MIIT accelerates its 'Broadband China' project and expands broadband construction in the country, the number of internet users will continue to increase rapidly. Miao said it will continue to expand the development of mobile internet, e-commerce, cloud computing and M2M information services in China with the goal of reaching yearly e-commerce transactions of CNY 18 trillion, 2.3 million new internet sector jobs, and yearly software and information service revenue of CNY 4 trillion by 2015.

The MIIT has also set a goal of domestically producing 80 per cent of the country's LCD display panels used in television production.