NTA will provide free internet to community campuses across Nepal. The telecommunications authority will serve broadband internet without any fare for two years.
The decision comes as per the FY 078/79 budget by Nepal government for broadband reinforcement. However, the program was started under Parbat Gurung’s leadership, the former Minister of Communication and Information Technology.
The campaign started free broadband service from earthquake-ravaged 8 districts. Now, NTA will itself lead the initiative to provide free internet to community campuses around the country.
NTA has sanctioned a seventy crores budget for the project which will bring fiber broadband services to public campuses and basic schools around the country in installments. As per the news, NTA will fund all the required equipment and infrastructure charges for the broadband connections.
NTA is in talks with community campuses in 8 districts severely affected by earthquakes. To call for the internet connection, the concerned campus will require to produce a recommendation letter by their affiliated university. Earlier, the regulator has also planned to provide 20Mbps internet in every ward of the country.
The eight districts to receive the first batch of internet roll-out are Dolakha, Ramechhap, Okhaldhunga, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Sindhupalchok, Kabhrepalanchok, and Sindhuli. In case, the campuses have a low-speed ADSL service, the plan is to upgrade them to 20 Mbps fiber service. On the contrary, NTA will set up a new connection on its own expenses.
Source: https://www.nepalitelecom.com/2021/07/nta-provide-free-internet-to-community-campuses.html