MIT GSL students works on startup ideation and app development

Thirty-five students participating in MIT Global Startup Labs (GSL) are working on leading-edge startup ideas that address the way Nepalis are served in health, education, tourism, transportation management and utilities, among others.  

The program incorporates an innovation boot camp, in which the students are learning the steps of creating a tech startup and what it takes to actually be an entrepreneur - from ideation stage to execution of technology startups.  

MIT launches Global Startup Labs in Nepal

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, on Friday launched the MIT Global Startup Labs (GSL) in Nepal this summer with Kathmandu University and Ncell.  MIT GSL empowers technology entrepreneurs and helps cultivate the startup ecosystem in emerging economies. 

The MIT has been conducting the program for the last 18 years in 25 countries promoting economic development by cultivating young technology entrepreneurs, including India and Sri Lanka in South Asia. This inaugural program has been made possible by Ncell that works towards the technological advancement of the country by nurturing young entrepreneurs.

9.2 million Ncell customers carry smartphones

First quarter report of Ncell released by its main investor Malaysian company Axiata shows that people carrying smartphone is increasing sharply in Nepal and the figure reached around 9.2 million. As per the report, 56% customers of Ncell are using smartphone. Ncell has 16.4 million customers. As per the recent Q1 report, compared to smartphone penetration of 44% in the Q1 last year, the penetration rate this year has increased by 12 percentage point. Smartphone penetration in Ncell was at 52% in Q4 2017. The number of data users is also increasing significantly.

Ncell’s ‘Pahilo SIM’ for SEE appeared students

Ncell has introduced a special offer ‘Pahilo SIM’ to this year’s SEE appeared students. Under this scheme, students can subscribe Ncell prepaid SIM card at just Re. 1 loaded with exciting offers of iflix video streaming and My5 service on the first recharge. That is not all; they can also enjoy exclusively designed more affordable data packs and bonuses on every top up. Subscribers are entitled to get daily 3 hours of free video streaming between 11:00 pm to 5:00 pm of next day on iflix.

Most of the projects funded by RTDF delayed

Majority of the projects funded by the Rural Telecommunication Development Fund (RTDF) are unlikely to meet the deadline. Even as separate agreements to carry out projects worth NPR 9 billion were reached with Nepal Telecom (NT), United Telecom Limited (UTL) and Smart Telecom, no project has made progress as per condition set in the agreement.

Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) on September 28, 2016, had signed an agreement with NT to expand optical fiber network in 32 districts along the Mid-Hill Highway with investment of around NPR 4.47 billion. More than half of the time allocated to complete the project has already passed, however; NT has failed to initiate any work to implement the project.

Billions of revenue loss in the lack of frequency distribution

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) itself is found flouting frequency policy. Auctioning of frequency on 2100 MHz bandwidth should have been done by mid-March 2017, but NTA has not even initiated the process. No distribution of frequency has caused loss of more than NPR 1 billion revenue to the government in last one year.

Due to weakness of NTA, 80 MHz frequency in 2100 MHz has not been distributed. As per the frequency policy, the regulator was supposed to auction frequency in the 2100 MHz within three to six months after issuing two basic telephone service licenses.

Nepal added over 250 internet users per hour

More than 250 new users were connected to the internet every hour last year, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) said. According to the NTA’s Management Information System (MIS), 2.25 million new users were connected to the internet last year.

That translates to more than 250 new users every hour. As of October 2017, 16.67 million Nepalis had been connected to the internet, up 15.60 percent year-on-year.

NTA to crack down on grey market mobile phones

SIM cards in smuggled handsets to be rendered inoperable
In a bid to crack down on sale of illegally procured mobile phones, the government will introduce a system under which the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards of telecom companies will not function in unregistered mobile devices.

Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) is preparing a guideline to enforce such a system to render useless handsets that arrive in the market via illegal channels. In a simpler sense, mobile phones whose International Mobile Equipment Identity number is not registered at NTA will not accept SIM cards of any telecom companies once the authority enforces the system.

NTA prepares to issue MVNO permit

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) is preparing to issue a license of mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). The regulator has said that the permit was being open with a target to expand mobile service in areas where the service has not reached, diversify the telecommunications services being provided and provide enhanced quality of service to customers.

MVNO is a concept of a company that can diversify telecom services using the network and infrastructure of mobile operators. Digambar Jha, chairman of NTA said that the permit will be issued with a focus to virtual marketing. “We are issuing MVNO license based on which a licensee will take business from service providers,” he said. “There will be no role of NTA in between if a telecom company refuse to provide business to MVNO. They will be working together only based on policy and instruction.”

NTA to hire consultant to monitor broadband projects

Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) is set to hire a consulting firm to monitor the projects under NTA’s Rural Telecommunications Development Fund (RTDF). The telecommunication sector regulator recently invited expression of interest (EoI) from interested firms to monitor, evaluate and certify the progress of RTDF-funded projects.

“As NTA lacks enough manpower and expertise to monitor and evaluate project progress, we decided to hire a consulting company for this purpose. The hired consultant will basically render professional services for evaluation, monitoring and certification of RTDF-funded broadband projects initiated by NTA,” said Min Prasad Aryal, spokesperson for NTA.

Ncell 4G/LTE now in Lahan and Dhangadhi

• Ncell 4G service reaches 21 cities
• Nepal’s widest 4G coverage crosses 15% of population
• Customers can upgrade their SIM to 4G at Re 1 and get 1 GB data

Ncell Private Ltd. has expanded its fourth generation (4G)/long term evolution (LTE) service in two more cities - Lahan of Siraha and Dhangadhi of Kailali district, further expanding coverage of the country’s widest 4G network. The company is launching the high-speed mobile broadband in these cities on January 7, 2018.

All Ncell customers possessing 4G SIM (U-SIM) with the 4G compatible handset in Lahan and Dhangadhi will be able to enjoy the 4G service and reap benefits of opportunities it brings from Sunday. With this expansion, Ncell’s 4G coverage has now reached 21 cities and made the service accessible to over 15% population.