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Nepal has 0.6m net subscribers
KATHMANDU, NOV 24 - The number of internet service subscribers has increased across the country due to cheaper ADSL internet, internet telephony and GPRS in cell phones.
According to Manage-ment Information System (MIS) data as of mid-September to mid-October compiled by the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), there are now 591,941 internet subscribers including dial-up, wireless modem, optical fibre, cable modem, ADSL, GPRS, and CDMA 1X. Six months ago, the total number of subscribers amounted to 166,912 including 15,560 ADSL subscribers, said the telecommunication regulator.
Subscriptions to GPRS internet service have increased heavily with the number reaching 423,829 in six months. Among them, 68,109 are Nepal Telecom's (NT) GPRS users and 355,720 are subscribers to Spice Nepal's GPRS.
An official at Spice Nepal said that subscriptions to GPRS were rising everyday as activation was free. "Everyday, 150 to 200 mobile users visit us for GPRS," said the official.
NTA spokesperson Kailash Neupane said that an increase in IT knowledge, mobile use, attractive packages offered by internet service providers (ISP) on internet calls and the internet had supported the growth. "Cheaper ADSL internet and the introduction of internet telephony last year are also the main causes for the rising number of subscriptions," he said.
ISPs that had faced a decrease in internet subscribers following the launching of ADSL by Nepal Telecom 18 months ago have also started to witness an increase in internet subscription because of their attractive packages for internet telephony for home and cyber café use.
"Our dedicated customer service and round-the-clock quality support have attracted subscribers a great deal," said Pawan Shakya, president of the Internet Service Providers Association. Currently, there are 35 ISPs in Nepal offering internet service.
"The number of subscribers will increase heavily after our ADSL expansion in 40 major cities across the country within the next three months," said NT spokesperson Surendra Prasad Thike.
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