NTA directs telecos to improve service

The government has directed the three major telecom operators— Nepal Telecom, Ncell and United Telecom— to expand and improve their network coverage and Quality of Service (QoS) along major highways. The telecom sector regulator, Nepal Telecommunications Authority, has also sought the operators’ work plan to this effect after its survey found that none of the operators has good signal and service quality in jungle areas and scattered settlements along the East-West and Kathmandu-Pokhara highways. NTA said the call drop was higher even in locations with sufficient signals. The survey had focused primarily in call success rate and network signal available in every five km distance along Mugling-Kakadbhitta, Narayanghat-Kanchanpur and Kathmandu-Pokhara sections. According to NTA, service of Nepal Telecom’s CDMA, Ncell and United Telecom Limited were relatively better although they do not meet the benchmark. However, Nepal Telecom’s GSM mobile service was found poor. “We have directed all three operators to improve their network and QoS along highways at the earliest,” said Kailash Prasad Neupane, spokesperson for NTA, adding that the service signal gets poorer as soon as the forest area starts along highways. Normally, the authority conducts service quality survey based on parameters such as call setup success rate‚ service access delay‚ call completion rate‚ call drop rate, reason for call failure, call quality from the performance test‚ consumer perception, billing accuracy and overall call quality perception of consumers to map the quality of service. This time, the survey had only focused on availability of service and signal strength. Baburam Dawadi, assistant director of the authority, said the operators will be treated strictly if they do not improve services. He added that improvement of service in jungle areas will help curb buss robberies and timber smuggling. In the current fiscal year, the authority aims to conduct the QoS study at least in nine remote areas and major cities of the country, apart from the Kathmandu-Tatopani road section. Currently, Brazen Consultant-an engineering firm-is carrying out the survey in four cities— Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar and Nepalgunj. Similarly, the authority will also soon initiate a survey on call service. Dawadi said from the next fiscal year, the authority will start scrutinising telecom QoS through Drive Testing Equipment that analyses telecom service automatically.