ict promotion and standardization challenges for nepal

Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012

ICT Promotion and Standardization Challenges for Nepal

Babu Ram DawadiAsst. Director

Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA)[email protected]

ITU Workshop on “Bridging the Standardization Gap”

(Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012)

OutlineNepal-Brief

Existing ICT Policies/Acts

ICT promotion/standardization Activities

Collaboration with ITU for ICT Enhancement

Issues and Challenges for Nepal

Conclusion and Recommendations


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Nepal

Mt. Everest, peak of the world


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(src: cbs.gov.np, 2011)

Demographics

Population Distribution


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Demographics …1

Social Indicator (src:cbs.gov.np, 2011/12)Per Capita GNI: USD 742 Population having access to Electricity: 43.9% Literacy Rate (5yrs and Above)

Male: 74.7%Female: 53.3%

Human Development Index (UNDP Rep. 2011): Rank157Total no of Villages: 3915Villages served by Telephone Service: 3915 (100%)More than 92 local languagesMore than 101 castes.

src: NTA MIS, may 2012, www.nta.gov.np


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Nepal: Telecom StatusTele-Density

Penetration Growth

http://www.nta.gov.np/

ICT standardization Need


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Existing Government Acts, Policies, Regulation... for ICT

Standardization/Enhancement in Nepal


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Nepal Government Acts, Policies

Telecommunications Act, 1997Focused over standards

Authority shall define the quality and standards of the machine, equipment and facilities telecommunications and its service.

The authority shall prescribe the minimum standard to be maintained by a licensee in operating the telecommunications service.


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Nepal Government Acts …1

Telecom Policy 2004, strategies Universal Access to telecommunications service

Liberalization of telecommunications sector But limited to available spectrum

Open licensing regime

Enter into information society

Encourage the private sector participation.


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Long term policy on information and communication sector- 2010

Socioeconomic Infrastructure developmentEffective frequency managementHuman capacity building in telecom sector.

Information Technology Policy-2010Vision: establish Nepal in the map of world information technology by developing knowledge base society.Internet access to school/community, e-governance, broadband data network.


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Electronic Transaction Act-2008 and Electronic Transaction Rule-2010

Provisioning of E-Records management and generating secure digital signature

E-Government Master Plan-2006Establishes the vision, strategy and framework for Nepal’s e-governanceDefines direction of the executing organization, and restructuring legal framework.

Government Involvement/initiatives in ICT promotion/standardization

Collaboration with ITU (Research, Standardization for Nepal)


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Government/NTA Initiatives

Within recent few years NTA has carried out several mission projects for ICT standardization within the country by taking fruitful assistants from ITU.

Regulatory guidelines on broadband through universal service (ITU mission project-2011)

Strategies and policy framework proposed.Recommended suitable administrative framework for the disbursement of Rural Telecom Development Fund (RTDF).

IPTV/IPCDMA project for Nepal TelecomAssisting by ITU to standardize


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Government/NTA Initiatives …1

M-Health country needs assessment and feasibility study (ITU Mission, 2011).

Role of ICT in improving healthcare deliveries by sharing the experiences and best practices.

Identify critical national health priorities and its needs.

The report has been forwarded to Ministry of Health (MoH), with the interest that NTA can take initiatives for pilot project based on the recommendation, collaborating with MoH.


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Government/NTA Initiatives …2

Wireless Broadband Master Plan (ITU Mission, 2012)

Government focus on infrastructure sharing => county’s needRecommendations:

Legal/regulatory framework reform in telecom sector.Unified licensing regime (recently being introduced by the government).Effective spectrum regulation and pricing framework.(3yrs interim plan recommended to the government)

ICT Accessibilities for Persons with Disabilities (ITU Mission, Nov. 2012, going to be commenced soon)


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ICT Promotion/Standardization Activities

SASEC Information Highway project in the bidding process. (bid notice published: moic.gov.np)

District Optical Fiber Network Project (utilizing RTDF) => Standardization process in line with ITU Standards

Tele-center Project 58 centers of 26 districtsEstablished multipurpose common service centers (as pilot project) at three villages of Lamjung district in 2011. (PPP model).


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ICT Promotion/Standardization …1

Reviewing/Standardizing National Numbering Plan

Initiated Research to develop Standards for Interconnection to suite into converged network environment.

Infrastructure Sharing guideline finalizing.

Directives for laying and maintaining optical fiber cable across the country=> guideline standardized and issued

Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012 18


National Emergency Telecommunication Plan (NETP)=>under consultation Service

Study of health hazards due to wireless communication => under consultation service

EIR implementation and Genuine IMEI verification: processed

National Broadband Plan: almost finalized



Type Approval Working Procedure of Customer Premises Radio Telecommunication Equipments-2012” (TAP-02)=>issued

Guideline for Analysis and Design of Telecom. Tower, Earthquake/Disaster Risk Assessment of BTS Towers and Vulnerability Assessment => under consultation service

ICT policy consultation project (MoIC Leading) for Nepal assisting by KISDI and KCC.

Study on Regulatory Framework in response to the Convergence of Telecommunications and Broadcasting for Nepal



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Img src: http://www.givemeaning.com/proposal/svcc

Talking with son at Qatar from rural Nepal

Img Src: http://www.teliasonera.com

Policy Issues

Different policies in ICT with the involvement of different ministries.

Policy harmonization required

Legacy PolicyConvergence approach have to be adopted

Telecommunications, broadcasting, content management

Different licensing regime (basic-PSTN, mobile, limited mobility, internet service)


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Policy Issues…1

Lack of clear policy with vision of workContent management and content filtering issues.

ccTLD .NP domain administration/management and regulation not yet under govt. framework.

Cyber Security issues (formation of NP-CERT/CIRT), its management and operation issues

Conflict of Interest among organizationsMoIC/MoEST/NTA => major policy formulating organizations


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Policy Issues (QoS) …1

Standardization of Quality of Service (QoS) parameters for Basic, wireless and internet service by NTA on 2007.

Operators Quality of Service (QoS)Last two years quality measurement of bigger operators (NTC, NCELL & UTL)Not a Satisfactory Result

Mobile BTS concept, thinking by Nepalese Operator(s)

Not yet standardized and practiced by ITU QoS can’t be compromised hence implication on QoS by this approach has to be analyzed.


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Policy Issues (QoS/Interconnection)…2


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Low QoS, Determining factors for NepalNetwork capacity planning and optimizationCoverage/TerrainsFrequency Allocation/PlanningEnd-user mobile device performance (device quality)Power ( load-shedding) problem (avg. blackout 35hrs/week throughout the year)Unplanned Urbanization

Interconnection IssuesLack of proper policy/guideline for IP based network interconnection (VoIP, NGN..)

Type Approval issues


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Type approval procedure for radio telecommunication equipments for customer premises equipment

Preferable for the accreditation of regional lab for type approval

decrease the cost of testing of the equipment in each and every countryremoves the duplication of work.address the well equipped lab facilities as an important resource which is not available especially in the developing countries like Nepal

(NTA study in SATRC working group)

Conclusion & Recommendations


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Conclusion & Recommendations …1


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Conclusion & Recommendations …1


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Recommended Assistantship Expected-2013

Feasibility study to divide Nepal in to two telecom circles for allocating cellular spectrum.

Expected o/p: feasibility of two Telecom circle for spectrum

Revise/Standardize QoS parameters including new technologies (LTE, 3G, VoIP) for NTA

Expected o/p: Updated quality benchmarks with QoS parameters

Review of Telecom tariff guidelines for Nepal Telecommunications Authority

Expected o/p: Updated tariff guidelines


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Thank You!

ict promotion and standardization challenges for nepal

Documents

nepal government acts

existing government

telecom sector

information society

ict enhancementissues

ict standardizationenhancement

telecom policy

information technology