Page 75 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Nepal Internet Use Increases by 35 Percent during Lockdown

High prices, technological limitations and Telecommunications Service Charge now reached full saturation, only 72% of
unreliable connectivity threaten to slow on top of 13% VAT and 4% royalty fees, the population uses the internet regularly,
the explosive growth of Nepal’s internet have made internet in Nepal relatively up from only 7% ten years ago. But most
market during the COVID-19 lockdown expensive. Nepal also ‘imports’ most of complaints from customers are about slow
even though everything from recreation its internet bandwidth through Indian internet from ISPs. The pattern of internet
to education and employment have gone companies such as Tata Communications use has also changed during the lockdown.
online. Latest figures from the Nepal and Airtel, and is therefore affected by price Previously, people going online peaked in
Network Operators’ Group (NNOG) show swings there. This dependence on fiber the evenings. But in the past four months,
a 35% increase in internet consumption in optic cable corridors to India often leave there is constantly heavy traffic as Nepal
the past nearly four months of lockdown. Nepal’s internet connections vulnerable has seen an explosive growth in YouTube
In comparison, pre-lockdown growth of to network failures, says the Director of use – up from virtually zero in 2018 to
the internet market stood at just 23% per Nepal Telecommunications Authority Bijay 34% last year, and then almost doubling
year, according the Group’s CEO Samit Kumar Roy. Most of Nepal’s internet comes to 60% this year. The bandwidth often is
Jana Thing. “While pre-lockdown internet through cables gateways at the Bhairawa, too narrow to support this kind of traffic
consumption stood at 1486 gigabytes Duhabi, Tanakpur and Dhalkebar borders in Nepal’s international gateway and local
per second, post-lockdown levels reach with India. Nepal’s attempt to diversify networks. The cross border connections
as high as 2100 gigabytes per second,” its internet connectivity has been stymied are through underground fiber optic cable
says Thing, “We have seen a sharp rise in by even higher prices of bandwidth from that connect ISPs to India’s Airtel and Tata.
online entertainment with Netflix, TikTok, China. Despite an agreement with China Within Nepal, local caches for YouTube
online ludo and other virtual pastimes.” Telecom Global for cyber connectivity, and Google use artificial intelligence to
Traditional giants Facebook, Google and only a few domestic Internet Service ‘pre-fetch’ popular content into their own
Amazon have also clocked increased Providers (ISPs) are getting their cyber servers so they do not always have to
hours on their social media, virtual connections through the Rasuwa border use international connections to source
meeting and e-commerce platforms. from China where there is also the problem the material. One-third of all downloaded
Google and Facebook alone dominate of unreliability because of the terrain and content during the lockdown was from
82% of all internet traffic in Nepal. Most extreme weather on the Tibetan Plateau. Google, with YouTube being the most
of the data went through mobile phones Work is ongoing to open another internet popular.
and cable internet, with only 11% on wifi. gateway through the Kodari border. The
Multiple price hikes, including a 13% NTA says that although mobile phone have

TRA Announces Shutdown of 2G Network in UAE by End of 2022

The Telecommunications Regulatory and use of 5G, according to the Global main engine of the digital transformation
Authority (TRA) has announced that Communication Index. Thus, it is highly process, the fourth industrial revolution
shutdown of 2G network (GSM) in the important for telecom service providers and artificial intelligence. Moreover, this
UAE will take place at the end of 2022, to stop operating less effective networks step reflects the accelerating development
with directing resources allocated to 5G to allow the operation and activation of of the telecommunications sector, in
to support new generations of mobile the latest and most effective networks." which mobile networks are constantly
networks. TRA indicated that UAE service Al Mansoori added: "Mobile technology evolving and changing. An old technology
providers will provide all means of support is one of the main drivers of innovation disappears when new technology emerges
to groups that may be affected by the 2G in the business world, and telecom so that telecommunications companies
shutdown. Commenting on this subject, companies must constantly develop their must stop operating the least effective
Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director networks to keep pace with the rapid and networks to allow the operation and
General, said: "The ICT sector is one of continuous developments in the telecom activation of the most effective networks.
the most developed sectors in recent sector. Today, we are on the threshold of The activation of 2G network (GSM) in
decades. We have witnessed the level of a new era characterized by comprehensive the UAE dates back to 1994, and it is still
development in mobile networks where digital transformation, Internet of Things effective to date, despite the succession of
generations have progressed from the and smart city, where a faster, stronger network generations up to 5G, which the
first to the fifth generation that many and more capable network is needed to UAE has been in the lead of its application
countries in the world have begun to withstand the communication between through a comprehensive strategy and
implement on the ground, with the UAE in vast numbers of devices." This decision clear roadmap.
the forefront, as the first in the Arab region comes as part of TRA’s continuous efforts
and the fourth in the world in the launch in deployment of 5G in the UAE as the

75 JUNE-JULY 2020