Telecom Companies and ISP vehicles will exempt from the newly imposed restrictions in the capital. District Administration Office Kathmandu has announced. However, all the districts will take this initiative once the lockdown comes into effect.
As the telecom and internet services are put under urgent/essential services, enforcement officials shall allow the vehicles and employees to freely on the road.
Kathmandu is going into Nishedagya (Restrictions) from Baisakh 16 till 22 from 6:00 AM till midnight due to the second wave of COVID-19. The government has already shut down the schools and related activities nationwide. Soon other services including public transport will also be shut down to minimize the spread of the Coronavirus.
District Administration Office Kathmandu has allowed telecom and ISP vehicles to run uninterrupted during the lockdown. While all other services will categorically come to a halt except daily essential ones.
The Cause Behind This Leniency
Previously Telecom vehicles were afforded this privilege but now ISPs have found their space into emergency services to remain uninterrupted for new connection and maintenance. Last year telecom services didn’t find much issues but internet users suffered due to high bandwidth usage all over the country.
Read this: TikTok Affecting Internet Speed in Nepal During Lockdown; ISPs Claim
The reasons behind such leniency are down to the lessons learn from experiences from the last year. When COVID-19’s stringent measures forced people within their house last year, internet consumption grew to the point bandwidth demands soared countrywide. Internet users struggled to browse normally in peak hours.
Besides browsing, installing new connections, repairing and maintenance of internet, or shifting the cables took time much to the customers’ annoyance. That was because of the strict prohibition on vehicles during the pandemic that included ISPs’ vehicles too.
Do not forget: Internet Usage Skyrockets Due to Pandemic
Failure to resolve internet-related issues has multifaceted consequences, especially during the harsh lockdown. Most of the services shift digital. Online classes, business meetings, and freelancing works all depend on seamless connectivity. All these activities suffer inconveniences in the absence of service providers’ maintenance works. Now it seems like the local body has learned its lessons from these prior scenarios. Let’s see how the implementation scenario turns out.
Our Opinion
As people lock themselves within the confines of their houses, the only medium to work or entertain would be the internet, an important gateway from anxiety and stress. Last year, internet users and ISPs had a hard time due to a sudden surge in bandwidth demands that affected their experience.
Additionally, those installing a new connection, or requiring maintenance of their internet will benefit from this new ruling. As Internet and telecom vehicles roam freely off interruptions, so might your connectivity. This is certainly a move worthy of appreciation from the District Administration Offices.
Check out: Top Ten best Use of the Internet at Home during the lockdown.
What do you make of this news for allowing telcos, ISPs vehicles, and staff in the restricitons? Let us know in the comments section down below.