Nepal’s largest mobile operator by subscribers, Ncell, has requested additional wireless frequencies from the regulator, the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA). Ncell is looking to boost its frequencies so that its holdings match those of rival operator Nepal Telecom (NT). According to a report from the Kathmandu Post, Axiata subsidiary Ncell has requested 1.6MHz in the 900MHz band to give it 9.6MHz, 4MHz at 1800MHz to give it 15MHz, 5MHz in the 2100MHz range to give it 15MHz, and a brand new allocation of 30MHz in the 2300MHz band to match the frequencies that NT currently holds for WiMAX-based services.
The NTA says it will look at awarding the spectrum once the country’s radio frequency policy has been amended; a new draft of the policy has been submitted to the Ministry of Information and Communication (MoIC) for review and approval. It is being altered to allow for technology neutrality, enabling operators to use their existing 1800MHz spectrum for 4G services.