ITU Workshop on
“Bridging the Standardization Gap”
(Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012)
ICT Promotion and Standardization
Challenges for Nepal
Babu Ram Dawadi
Asst. Director
Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA)
brdawadi@nta.gov.np
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
Outline
Nepal-Brief
Existing ICT Policies/Acts
ICT promotion/standardization Activities
Collaboration with ITU for ICT Enhancement
Issues and Challenges for Nepal
Conclusion and Recommendations
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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Nepal
Mt. Everest, peak of the world
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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Demographics
Population: 26.7 Million
Area: 147,181 sq. km.
83.00%
Population Distribution
50.10%
48.56%
Terai
Zone
Male
43.20%
51.44%
17.00%
6.70%
Urban
Rural
Himalaya
Zone
Middle
Zone
Female
(src: cbs.gov.np, 2011)
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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Demographics
…1
Social Indicator (src:cbs.gov.np, 2011/12)
Per Capita GNI: USD 742
Population having access to Electricity: 43.9%
Literacy Rate (5yrs and Above)
Male: 74.7%
Female: 53.3%
Human Development Index (UNDP Rep. 2011): Rank157
Total no of Villages: 3915
Villages served by Telephone Service: 3915
(100%)
More than 92 local languages
More than 101 castes.
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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Nepal: Telecom Status
Tele-Density
62.56%
src: NTA MIS, may 2012,
www.nta.gov.np
55.40%
18.28%
3.95%
3.19%
Total
Fixed Line
Mobile
Internet (%)
Jan-2012
Jan-2011
7.93
2.65
Jan-2009
0.497
Market Share based on
Subscribers
62.56
15.2
Jan-2010
Internet
Telephone(%)
18.28
May-2012
Others (LM,
GMPCS)
0% 1%
2%
57.56
40.3
NDCL
46%
47%
NCELL
STM
27.15
NSTPL
SMART
19.79
Penetration Growth
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
UTL
4%
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ICT standardization Need
Reduce the policy gap
between developed and
developing countries.
Reduces digital divide
(technology gap
between developed and
developing countries)
Needs of
Developing
Countries
Brings services of
developing countries into
global standards with
proper harmonization
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
Creates global
competitive and
regulatory environment
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Existing Government Acts, Policies,
Regulation... for ICT
Standardization/Enhancement in Nepal
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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Nepal Government Acts, Policies
Telecommunications Act, 1997
Focused over standards
Authority shall define the quality and standards
of the machine, equipment and facilities
telecommunications and its service.
The authority shall prescribe the minimum
standard to be maintained by a licensee in
operating the telecommunications service.
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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Nepal Government Acts …1
Telecom Policy 2004, strategies
Universal Access to telecommunications service
Liberalization of telecommunications sector
But limited to available spectrum
Open licensing regime
Enter into information society
Encourage the private sector participation.
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Nepal Government Acts
…2
Long term policy on information and
communication sector- 2010
Socioeconomic Infrastructure development
Effective frequency management
Human capacity building in telecom sector.
Information Technology Policy-2010
Vision: establish Nepal in the map of world
information technology by developing knowledge
base society.
Internet access to school/community, egovernance, broadband data network.
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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Nepal Government Acts
…3
Electronic Transaction Act-2008 and
Electronic Transaction Rule-2010
Provisioning of E-Records management and
generating secure digital signature
E-Government Master Plan-2006
Establishes the vision, strategy and framework
for Nepal’s e-governance
Defines direction of the executing organization,
and restructuring legal framework.
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Government Involvement/initiatives
in ICT promotion/standardization
Collaboration with ITU (Research,
Standardization for Nepal)
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Government/NTA Initiatives
Within recent few years NTA has carried out
several mission projects for ICT
standardization within the country by taking
fruitful assistants from ITU.
Regulatory guidelines on broadband through
universal service (ITU mission project-2011)
Strategies and policy framework proposed.
Recommended suitable administrative framework for the
disbursement of Rural Telecom Development Fund (RTDF).
IPTV/IPCDMA project for Nepal Telecom
Assisting by ITU to standardize
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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Government/NTA Initiatives …1
M-Health country needs assessment and
feasibility study (ITU Mission, 2011).
Role of ICT in improving healthcare deliveries
by sharing the experiences and best practices.
Identify critical national health priorities and its
needs.
The report has been forwarded to Ministry of
Health (MoH), with the interest that NTA can
take initiatives for pilot project based on the
recommendation, collaborating with MoH.
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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Government/NTA Initiatives …2
Wireless Broadband Master Plan (ITU Mission,
2012)
Government focus on infrastructure sharing =>
county’s need
Recommendations:
Legal/regulatory framework reform in telecom sector.
Unified licensing regime (recently being introduced by the
government).
Effective spectrum regulation and pricing framework.
(3yrs interim plan recommended to the government)
ICT Accessibilities for Persons with Disabilities
(ITU Mission, Nov. 2012, going to be commenced soon)
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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ICT Promotion/Standardization Activities
SASEC Information Highway project in the
bidding process. (bid notice published: moic.gov.np)
District Optical Fiber Network Project
(utilizing RTDF) => Standardization process
in line with ITU Standards
Tele-center Project
58 centers of 26 districts
Established multipurpose common service centers (as pilot
project) at three villages of Lamjung district in 2011. (PPP
model).
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ICT Promotion/Standardization
…1
Reviewing/Standardizing National
Numbering Plan
Initiated Research to develop Standards for
Interconnection to suite into converged
network environment.
Infrastructure Sharing guideline finalizing.
Directives for laying and maintaining optical
fiber cable across the country=> guideline
standardized and issued
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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ICT Promotion/Standardization …2
National Emergency Telecommunication Plan
(NETP)=>under consultation Service
Study of health hazards due to wireless
communication => under consultation
service
EIR implementation and Genuine IMEI
verification: processed
National Broadband Plan: almost finalized
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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ICT Promotion/Standardization
…3
Type Approval Working Procedure of Customer
Premises Radio Telecommunication Equipments2012” (TAP-02)=>issued
Guideline for Analysis and Design of Telecom.
Tower, Earthquake/Disaster Risk Assessment of BTS
Towers and Vulnerability Assessment => under
consultation service
ICT policy consultation project (MoIC Leading) for
Nepal assisting by KISDI and KCC.
Study on Regulatory Framework in response to the
Convergence of Telecommunications and Broadcasting for
Nepal
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Img src: http://www.givemeaning.com/proposal/svcc
Talking with son
at Qatar from
rural Nepal
Img Src: http://www.teliasonera.com
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Policy Issues
Different policies in ICT with the
involvement of different ministries.
Policy harmonization required
Legacy Policy
Convergence approach have to be adopted
Telecommunications, broadcasting, content
management
Different licensing regime (basic-PSTN, mobile,
limited mobility, internet service)
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Policy Issues…1
Lack of clear policy with vision of work
Content management and content filtering issues.
ccTLD .NP domain administration/management
and regulation not yet under govt. framework.
Cyber Security issues (formation of NPCERT/CIRT), its management and operation
issues
Conflict of Interest among organizations
MoIC/MoEST/NTA => major policy formulating
organizations
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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Policy Issues (QoS) …1
Standardization of Quality of Service (QoS)
parameters for Basic, wireless and internet service
by NTA on 2007.
Operators Quality of Service (QoS)
Last two years quality measurement of bigger operators
(NTC, NCELL & UTL)
Not a Satisfactory Result
Mobile BTS concept, thinking by Nepalese
Operator(s)
Not yet standardized and practiced by ITU
QoS can’t be compromised hence implication on QoS by this
approach has to be analyzed.
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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Policy Issues (QoS/Interconnection)…2
Low QoS, Determining factors for Nepal
Network capacity planning and optimization
Coverage/Terrains
Frequency Allocation/Planning
End-user mobile device performance (device
quality)
Power ( load-shedding) problem (avg. blackout
35hrs/week throughout the year)
Unplanned Urbanization
Interconnection Issues
Lack of proper policy/guideline for IP based
network interconnection (VoIP, NGN..)
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Type Approval issues
Type approval procedure for radio
telecommunication equipments for
customer premises equipment
Preferable for the accreditation of regional lab
for type approval
decrease the cost of testing of the equipment in each
and every country
removes the duplication of work.
address the well equipped lab facilities as an important
resource which is not available especially in the
developing countries like Nepal
(NTA study in SATRC working group)
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Conclusion & Recommendations
ICT
promotion
challenges
for Nepal
• Policy and Standardization GAP
• Converge Licensing Framework
required
• Country’s political condition needs
to be stable
• Unstable Power (avg. 35Hrs/week
load shading) needs to set in
priority
• Lack of E-Government Policy
• Slow pace of Infrastructure
deployment
• Low Education and literacy rate
• High broadband price, should be
reviewed
Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012
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Conclusion & Recommendations
…1
• Lack of policy for Local content
development and management.
ICT Promotion
Challenges ...1
• Lack of coordination among
government ministries/organization
and prioritization of sectors
• Rural Tele-centers: sustainability
problem
Standardization
Challenges
• QoS parameters of new technologies
(eg: 3G, LTE, WiMAX..), have to
standardize
• QoS Parameters of VoIP services,
have to standardize
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Conclusion & Recommendations
…1
• IPv6 Network migration
(deployment)
• India, China, Malaysia and other
countries have Policy Framework with
National Roadmap => already
planned to deploy
Policy
Enforcement
• Nepal is still IDLE, NO policy
framework, strategy and migration
plan have been initiated
• Regional lab for type approval,
Regional Accreditation.
• capacity Building (Researcher) on
standardization sector
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Recommended Assistantship Expected-2013
Feasibility study to divide Nepal in to two telecom
circles for allocating cellular spectrum.
Expected o/p: feasibility of two Telecom circle for spectrum
Revise/Standardize QoS parameters including new
technologies (LTE, 3G, VoIP) for NTA
Expected o/p: Updated quality benchmarks with QoS
parameters
Review of Telecom tariff guidelines for Nepal
Telecommunications Authority
Expected o/p: Updated tariff guidelines
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Thank You!
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