Nepal Satellite Telecom gets a week extension to clear dues

Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has given Nepal Satellite Telecom (NST) an extension of a week to clear part of its pending dues, though the government has repeatedly directed to clear its dues.
According to chairman of the NTA Purushottam Khanal, , the company needs to pay Rs 70 million within August 18, while it can pay the rest of its outstanding amount within three months from August 18.
The company – owned by businessman Ajeya Raj Sumargi – needs to pay nearly Rs 1 billion as licence renewal fee, frequency fee, service expansion fee and fee for Rural Telecommunications Development Fund.
Earlier too the authority had allowed Smart Telecom extended time – in 2017 – to pay its dues.
However, this is the last chance for the the telecom company to keep its licence, he said, adding that the regulator is doing its level best not to have to scrap the operating licence of any telecom firm. “If the telecom company fails to abide by the regulator’s instruction this time, the NTA will revoke its licence.”
Nepal Satellite Telecom had filed a writ petition – seeking cancellation of the amount that it had to pay to NTA – at the Supreme Court but the Apex Court refused to give continuity to a stay order on a writ petition. A single bench of Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana on July 18 had refused to continue the stay order in favour of Nepal Satellite Telecom.
According to the telecom regulator, different telecommunication service providers have not paid dues worth Rs 2.96 billion to the government. There are some 153 telecommunication service providers in the country. United Telecom Ltd (UTL), Smart Telecom, Nepal Satellite Telecom, BroadLink Network are some of the telecommunication service providers that have not cleared their dues.
Smart Telecom – the largest one to pay dues – has to pay Rs 1.4 billion. Likewise, UTL has to pay Rs 795 million tax to the government as under frequency fee, royalty fee and renewal fee.

Number of 4G users soars by 125 per cent

The number of fourth generation (4G) mobile network users has reached 3.6 million within three years of being introduced in the country.
According to Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), the number has increased by 125 per cent compared to last year. The recently published Management Information System (MIS) report of mid-April to mid-May revealed that the number stood at 1.6 million last year. “The 4G network was first introduced in Nepal on January 1, 2017 by Nepal Telecom (NT). Currently, NT, Ncell and Smart Telecom Pvt Ltd (STPL) are providing 4G service across the country, apart from Ncell that has the largest coverage of 4G service.”
The MIS report also revealed that there are a total of 2.6 million 4G subscribers of Ncell so far, whereas NT and STPL have 762,945 and 174,816 4G users, respectively.
Although NT was the first to start 4G service in the country, till date it has been able to provide 4G service only in Kathmandu and Pokhara, whereas Ncell is currently providing the service in 1,000 different locations of seven provinces.
Within two years of the 4G launch, Ncell has expanded the service in 44 districts but the STPL is providing 4G service in four major cities – including Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and Pokhara – in the country.
Meanwhile, NT has divided the 4G expansion project into three categories including Network I, Network II and Core Network. While the Nepse-listed company has awarded the Network I and Network II categories of the project to CCSI, ZTE Corporation has been awarded the contract to develop necessary core network and radio access network for the expansion of 4G or Long Term Evolution (LTE) service.
Likewise, the number of mobile data users reached 18.6 million compared to 14.3 million last year, it revealed, adding, “Of the total number of data users, 10 million are 3G users while remaining 136,573 users are using networks that are below 3G capacity.”
According to the MIS report, some 63.31 per cent, out of the total population, are using internet service across the country. “Of the total number of internet users, some 49.65 per cent are mobile network users, 12.47 per cent are fixed broadband users, while 1.18 per cent are wireless broadband users,” it stated in the report.

Smart Telecom becomes the fastest growing telecom company

Smart Telecom (ST) has been reported as the fastest growing telecom service provider in the country, according to the recent report from the government.

The recent Economic Survey published by the Finance Ministry revealed that ‘Smart Cell’ – the brand of Smart Telecom – has increased its subscriber base by a whopping 85.23 per cent – the highest among all six existing telecom operators – in the eight months of the fiscal year 2012-13.

The survey revealed that the tele-density has touched 74 per cent with 19.61 million telephone subscribers and internet-density has touched 24 per cent with 6.27 million internet users.

Ncell has posted 28 per cent growth followed by Nepal Telecom (NT) with 14.27 per cent and UTL with 13.76 per cent increment in their subscribers’ base in the first eight months of the fiscal year 2012-13 compared to the same period of a fiscal year ago, the survey added.

“Smart Telecom has been able to gain three per cent market share making it the third largest telecom operator,” said Smart Telecom chief executive officer Abraham Smith.

“Smart has already invested more than Rs 3 billion in expanding its network and planning to continue with almost $300 million,” he added.

“Smart Telecom wants to be customer centric and service-oriented telecom provider with affordable price and best quality network,” Smith said, adding that when the telecom operator will be introduced across the country, customers will be like kings, as they will be able to enjoy choices and greater varieties of services.

As a good Nepali corporate citizen, Smart Telecom already realised a range of projects to support people and communities in need, according to the telecom service provider that has also been actively involved in the Social Corporate Responsibility like helping Kailali flood victims, Sulikot Ghyang Monastery in Sindhupalchowk, Setidevi Primary School in Sindhupalchowk and Garvasi Lower Secondary School in Nuwakot.

“The country will benefit from having Smart Telecom as a third nationwide operator, as with the strong commitment to a long-term investment it can bring a new positive changes to the industry and market where the price and quality will be in line with the people’s requirements,” Smith added.

Smart Telecom was licensed as a telecom operator by Nepal Telecom Authority on July 1, 2008. It has also been awarded unified licence on April 15, and the company is gearing up for nationwide rollout in near future.

Currently, the telecom service provider covers up 40 districts with 800,000 subscribers and is increasing. It provides both GSM and VSAT services.