NT to start RUIM card distribution soon

NEPAL Telecom (NT) is preparing to distribute Removable User Identity Module (RUIM) cards under its IP CDMA project through bundling with new handset models from three brands—Micromax, Lenovo and Alcatel. The state-owned telecom company will soon sign an agreement with local dealers of the handsets. The service bundling plan has come at the time when NT is facing shortage of IP CDMA technology-compatible mobile handsets in the market to expand its IP CDMA service which offers voice and high-speed wireless internet services. RUIM cards require separate smartphones that support voice and data services in the IP-CDMA network. “We are planning to sign the agreement soon to start distribution of RUIM cards within a month,” said Anoop Ranjan Bhattarai, director at NT’s Wireless Telephone Directorate. He said the company is also working to make available USB dongle for high-speed internet in the IP-CDMA network. Due to the shortage of the handsets and USB dongle, NT has not been able to distribute RUIM cards under its IP-CDMA project—one its major projects. It had targeted to sell 300,000 RUIM cards by the end of the current fiscal year, but NT has so far been able to distribute only around 150,000 cards. In August 2011, Chinese telecommunications vendor Huawei Technologies had signed a $30 million contract with NT for the implementation the IP CDMA project. It has capacity of 2 million mobile lines. NT has been promoting the IP-CDMA service as Sky Pro which can provide data service at speeds up to 3.1 Mbps, besides the voice service. As per the condition put forth by the NT to local dealers of Micromax, Lenono and Alcatel, they will have to make available three models each that support the IP-CDMA network. Sudan Lal Shrestha, senior engineer at NT, said they have completed evaluation of the handset models and found them to be compatible with NT’s network. “The price of the handsets range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000, depending on the brand and features,” said Shrestha. Earlier, Alcatel had made available a limited number of handsets at Rs 13,500 along with a RUIM card. Last year too, NT had signed agreements with authorised dealers of Samsung and Alcatel to supply handsets and sell them bundling with RUIM cards. But Samsung’s CDMA handset did not support NT’s network and Alcatel’s bidding model has become obsolete, creating a shortage of IP CDMA technology- based handsets.