Satellite phones are being used illegally: NTA

KATHMANDU, SEPT 5--The government has stated that would take action against people or institutions using satellite phones without permission from concerned government authorities. Local satellite phone service providers too for long time had been urging the government to discourage unauthorized use of such phones in the country as it affects their business.

Currently, there are two companies—Constellation and i4 Technologies that provides are providing satellite phone service (Global Mobile Personal Communication Service). These companies have got licence from Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) to run the business.

Both the companies’ officials claimed that for long time many tourists visiting Nepal for trekking and mountaineering had been bringing the phones dodging the Customs, use them without permission of the government. Similarly, Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) said that it had been matter of security with tourists leaving such phones here which can not be tracked.

NTA Director Ananda Raj Khanal said the issue of unauthorised use of satphone had become crucial issue mainly for security threat concerns as there is no system in the country to track such phones registered in other countries. “If a foreigner leaves a satphone here, anyone using it can re-charge the SIM card through the internet and use for any purpose,” he added.

A satellite phone or satphone is a type of mobile phone that provides telecom service by connecting to orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial telecom network sites. It is the best medium for communication in the areas where there is no other telecom service available and for communications during the natural disasters like earthquake.

With the pressure from the service providers for long time, NTA recently has published a notice asking people to use service of only the authorized service providers in the country or face action of as per law if found using service illegally. The service providers said that since they were licensee for the particular service in the country, it was government’s role to control the unauthorized use of the satphones either by creating awareness or being harsh in law.

“We have huge investment in this service and paid the tax to the government from the income earned accordingly,” said Sanatan Gajurel, general manager of Constellation. He said that how could a foreigner using Nepali air and territory for using the phone service pay tariff to other country when they were authorized to provide same service in the country.

Constellation is the first satphone service providers. NTA data shows that there are 1,700 plus satphone subscribers in the country as of last fiscal year. Normally, diplomatic missions, international non-governmental organisations, mountaineers and trekkers and their agencies use satphones. Such satphones were also widely used during the decade-long insurgency by the Maoists.

Diplomatic missions subscribe to satphone getting permission from the Ministry of Communications and Information based on the recommendation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the service providers. But many satphones registered outside the country were being used challenging their business.

Managing Director of i4 Technologies Anil Piya said that the satphones were being brought into the country by tourists easily for years ago and being used in trekking and mountaineering. “It affects revenue collection, earning of local service providers and poses risk of using for criminal activities,” he said.

Tourists visiting Nepal can bring the satphones after receiving approval from the Communications Ministry and paying certain amount as customs tax deposit in the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA). The government officials said that with no better system to check in customs offices, tourists can easily make it to Nepal along with such phone hiding in pocket or claiming the set to be just a normal cell phone.

“All the tourists depositing the customs tax are found withdrawing their money while returning from Nepal indicating that they have taken back the phones with them,” said Toyam Raya, customs chief at the TIA. “Some foreigners might have brought in dodging officials.”

Telecommunications Act 1997 has restricted the misuses or un-authoritatively uses the telecommunications service. NTA said that security was main concern of the government than worrying about the business concerns of the licensees. Kailash Prasad Neupane, spokesperson of NTA said that there had also been a need of a provision that maintain clear record entry and exist of satphones used by tourists.