“Broadband needs to be considered as basic national infrastructure as it will fundamentally reshape the world in the twenty-first century and change the way services are delivered — from the e-health to e-education to e-commerce,” said Sameer Sharma, senior adviser of International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific at a programme organised jointly by ITU and Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) here in the Valley.
“Nepal has experienced unprecedented mobile growth and have the potential to repeat the same for broadband,” he said, adding that the government should stipulate clear vision and strategy in the national agenda for development of the broadband to help it expand.
However, according to him, significant income differences, slow pace of infrastructure deployment, low personal computer penetration and high broadband prices are some stumbling blocks to the growth of broadband in Nepal.
Ananda Raj Khanal, acting chairman of Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) said that the regulator should play the role in implementing the simple authorisation framework, regulating competition — including tariffs — creating fair and equitable competitive market principles, interconnecting networks and facilities and implementing universal service/access mechanisms. “The government has prepared draft broadband policy, he informed, adding that it is also formulating the Regulatory Guidelines for Broadband through universal access with ITU assistance. NTA has initiated District Optical Fiber Network that aims at connecting 75 districts headquarters through optical fibre, he said, adding that the network is expected to be completed within three years.
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Quelle/Source: The Himalayan Times, 16.03.2011
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