Ministry, NTA in quandary after CIAA directive

KATHMANDU, MAR 29 -The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority’s (CIAA) latest directive that has barred the government from implementing the new spectrum policy has put the Communication Ministry and Nepal Telecommunications Authority ( NTA ) in a quandary.

The CIAA directive, according to Communication Ministry sources, has stalled work on spectrum allocation, including the planned issuance of the unified telecom licence, auctioning 3G spectrum and re-farming radio telecommunications frequency.

The officials said the CIAA instruction has created an uncertainty in the telecom sector as the country now does not have a policy to guide spectrum allocation and collection of frequency fees from telecom companies.

Ncell supports over Rs 50 million to 41 schools

KATHMANDU, March 29-Owing to the lack of budget and proper infrastructure, many children in rural areas of Nepal remain deprived from basic rights of education. Considering this realty, Ncell has placed education at the top of its CSR priority list and has been supporting schools in rural areas in order to enable children get better education in an improved learning environment.

Under the CSR endeavors, Ncell, country’s leading telecom service provider, has decided to support additional 18 schools, one each in 18 districts, under ‘Adopt a School’ project. It has also decided to continue providing scholarships to 15 girl children to pursue higher secondary and Bachelor’s level education in 2013.
The 18 schools receiving Ncell’s support under Adopt a School are community-run schools. Under the support, Ncell would be building buildings/class-rooms, constructing toilets, drinking water and other basic facilities, fencing the school premises, furnishing the class rooms, and providing education materials along with indoor and outdoor sports materials.

CPN-M-aligned trade union attack Ncell

KATHMANDU, MAR 20 - In what indicates the growing hostility of trade unions against the private sector, the country’s leading mobile operator Ncell was vandalised by CPN-Maoist-aligned trade union on Tuesday afternoon.

All Nepal Communication, Printing and Publications Workers Union (ANCPPWU) affiliated to the All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF)—a CPN-Maoist trade union wing—vandalised Ncell ’s head office in New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, damaging property and inflicting minor injuries on three company employees.

According to Ncell , the attack was carried out in a well-planned manner, as some of the attackers first sneaked into the NcellCentre located on the ground floor of the building and started vandalising