Nepal Telecom (Ntc) began its 5G trial on Magh 22, 2079 BS (February 05, 2022) on the occasion of the company’s 19th anniversary at the Babarmahal and Sundhara sites. For long, the company had 4 sites running internal testing for the fifth-generation cellular network with a plan for further expansion and public access in the coming months which was derailed after the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) took the frequency back. However, the telecom giant might see its 5G trial resume in major cities in fiscal year FY 2081/82.
At a press conference organized by Press Chautari Nepal Gandai Pradesh in Pokhara, Communication Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung said the ministry plans to start a 5G trial in major cities. He shared that the government plans to extend 4G coverage nationwide and materialize the 5G trial further in the current fiscal year.
Earlier, NTA took the spectrum as the trial couldn’t continue fruitfully due to the absence of a sufficient number of 5G phones. It’s said that the state-backed company trialed its 5G network on Xiaomi, Samsung, and other devices. However, the number of eligible devices was few, and tangible findings were slim to none. That also means the company’s ambitious and exciting 5G trial was limited to internal testing for over two years. But the entire process might get a second chance.
For two years, Ntc tested the 5G network in its offices in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Birgunj. The company pointed to the lack of compatible devices for the delay in public access.
Ntc 5G trial 2024
For its 5G trial, Ntc installed the necessary infrastructure in the towers in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Birgunj. But just like in the capital, the trial remained accessible to Ntc employees.
The company earlier had plans to test the network in the remaining four provinces- Koshi, Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim provinces. We can remain hopeful that something positive transpires in the coming months or at least by the end of the FY 2081/82.
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From NSA 5G to SA architecture
Ntc plans to start off with Non-standalone architecture (NSA) 5G in the beginning and then switch to the Standalone (SA) infra. In 5G vocabulary, SA is a system that allows the 5G network to work on its own dedicated infrastructures. On the other hand, NSA is the opposite. It’s an architecture in which, the operators use the existing telco gears and with a slight modification, they start the blazingly fast 5G. Currently, many mobile network operators (MNOs) across the world are employing the 4G LTE hardware to operate NSA 5G. Read more on SA and NSA 5G deployments
Ntc says that it will switch on its 5G service to 4G LTE infrastructure with updated software on the core. Currently, the telco is testing available 5G devices on the network from 4 operational trial sites.
Free access to all when available
Nepal Telecom’s original plan is to start its 5G trial across seven provinces. The company has said that “during the trial phase, everyone with a compatible handset can freely enjoy the coveted network on their devices for free. It added that both users and the service provider will experience something new with the latest mobile network and also form the basis for its expansion in Nepal.
While it is not happening right now with the authority claiming back its spectrum, the motto remains the same within the company once the process resumes. Likewise, Ntc is importing 5G gear from abroad. It is identifying places from each province suitable for the trials. It has shared plans for 5G trials in select locations in the remaining provinces.
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Ntc 5G frequency band 2600 MHz and speed
Ntc received the 5G approval and spectrum from NTA in 2021. Thus, the company used the 2600 MHz band, also called the mid-band spectrum. It has 60 MHz frequency bandwidth for 5G operation which provides a decent mix of both coverage and speed potential. We have ‘unsubstantiated’ information from sources that the Ntc delivered up to 1 Gbps download speed during the 5G trials. It’s an elusive performance and won’t necessarily translate to real-world usage.
That means, the end user could get around 300-400 Mbps speed capacity which is a global trend currently. A broadband network may offer a very high speed but several factors affect its real-world performance.
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The road ahead for Ntc 5G
The challenges remain for Ntc in its pursuit of the 5G launch. Lack of qualified devices is one but investment, infrastructure, and timely upgrade could pose other challenges as uniform expansion will take months to years. But in times of rapid tech and innovation, Nepali users are eager to get their hands on a 5G network. In such a context, NTA could have been more liberal and allowed the company to continue with its test as the 5G ecosystem continues to grow with more affordable phones supporting the 5G network.
But we also want Ntc to be more competitive in handling the 5G spectrum and running its trials for faster and more relevant outcomes. In the end, it’s a win-win for all to have the most advanced network in public access.
Also, its rise will also see the irrelevancy and phase-out of legacy networks- 2G and 3G.
5G will propel the digital economy, and help with bridging the digital divide. Its high-speed, low-latency connection also helps in telemedicine and industrial operations. Neighboring country India already has Jio and Bharti Airtel taking its 5G network to many parts of the country. So we can only wish that NTA and Ntc come to terms regarding the 5G trial and bring it to public access soon.
Should the government proceed with more tenacity to bring the 5G trial to the public quicker? The first series of Ntc 5G trials was less fruitful and everyone wishes that everything gets better the second time. Drop your opinion on your expectations from the government and Ntc for the 5G access on your phone.
