Government opting for shared use of telecommunication infrastructure to reduce cost: Minister Sharma
KATHMANDU, May 17: Communication and Information Technology Minister Rekha Sharma has said that she is preparing to bring a policy of shared use of telecommunication infrastructure to reduce the cost.
On the occasion of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) organized a telecommunication conference, Minister Sharma said that the policy of shared use is going to be moved forward through the amendment of the law.
The work of amending the Telecommunications Act is being done with the main focus on infrastructure development while establishing good governance in the telecommunications sector. Minister Sharma said, “We have decided to put an end to the situation of double or triple investment in the telecommunication infrastructure and move forward with the infrastructure sharing policy. We believe that this will reduce the cost of the telecommunication infrastructure and make the service more efficient, and reduce the fees charged to the consumers.”
Similarly, she said that the National Cyber Security Policy, 2023 has been issued for the first time for the purpose of securing and managing the cyber space. She added that the National Cyber Security Center has been established, and the information technology and cyber security bill is being drafted.
“Radio frequency policy of telecommunication services has been implemented to encourage the latest technology and innovation including 5G in the telecommunication sector,” Minister Sharma said, “The technology neutrality policy will be implemented from July 16, 2024. After this change, there will be a significant increase in revenue.”
She also said that by revising the property management regulations of telecommunication service providers whose license is not valid, unused radio frequencies will be automatically returned while policy arrangements have been made to prevent misuse of radio frequencies, an important asset of the state, which is also a limited natural resource.
Minister Sharma said that by making the purchase of bandwidth more competitive, Nepal Telecom alone will save an average of Rs 1.5 billion annually.
She also expressed her commitment to develop Nepal as a global information technology hub by encouraging the development of the information technology industry as a major sector of employment and service export.
Minister Sharma said that due to the government’s stand in favor of good governance and policy reforms, the revenue has also started to increase.
