ICT Promotion and Standardization Challenges for Nepal

1. ITU Workshop on “Bridging the Standardization Gap”(Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 30-31 July 2012) ICT Promotion and Standardization Challenges for Nepal Babu Ram Dawadi Asst. Director Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) brdawadi@nta.gov.np

2. Outline Nepal-Brief Existing ICT Policies/Acts ICT promotion/standardization Activities Collaboration with ITU for ICT Enhancement Issues and Challenges for Nepal Conclusion and Recommendations

3. Nepal Mt. Everest, peak of the world

4. Demographics Population Distribution (src: cbs.gov.np, 2011)

5. 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): Rank157 • Total no of Villages: 3915 • Villages served by Telephone Service:3915(100%) • More than 92 local languages • More than 101 castes.

6. Nepal: Telecom Status Tele-Density • src: NTA MIS, may 2012, www.nta.gov.np Broadband Penetration: 0.51% Only Penetration Growth

7. ICT standardization Need

8. Existing Government Acts, Policies, Regulation... for ICT Standardization/Enhancement in Nepal

9. Nepal Government Acts, Policies • Telecommunications Act, 1997 • Focused 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.

10. 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.

11. Nepal Government Acts …2 • Long term policy on information and communication sector- 2010 • Socioeconomic Infrastructure development • Effective frequency management • Human capacity building in telecom sector. • Information Technology Policy-2010 • Vision: establish Nepal in the map of world information technology by developing knowledge base society. • Internet access to school/community, e-governance, broadband data network.

12. Nepal Government Acts …3 • Electronic Transaction Act-2008 and Electronic Transaction Rule-2010 • Provisioning of E-Records management and generating secure digital signature • E-Government Master Plan-2006 • Establishes the vision, strategy and framework for Nepal’s e-governance • Defines direction of the executing organization, and restructuring legal framework.

13. Government Involvement/initiatives in ICT promotion/standardizationCollaboration with ITU (Research, Standardization for Nepal)

14. Government/NTA Initiatives Collaboration with ITU • 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 Telecom • Assisting by ITU to standardize

15. Government/NTA Initiatives …1 Collaboration with ITU • 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.

16. Government/NTA Initiatives …2 Collaboration with ITU • Wireless Broadband Master Plan (ITU Mission, 2012) • Government focus on infrastructure sharing => county’s need • Recommendations: • 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)

17. 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 districts • Established multipurpose common service centers (as pilot project) at three villages of Lamjung district in 2011. (PPP model).

18. ICT Promotion/Standardization …1 Reviewing/StandardizingNational 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

19. ICT Promotion/Standardization …2 National Emergency Telecommunication Plan (NETP)=>under consultationService Study of health hazards due to wireless communication => under consultation service EIR implementation and Genuine IMEI verification: processed National Broadband Plan: almost finalized

20. ICT Promotion/Standardization …3 • 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

21. Challenges for Nepal Img src: http://www.givemeaning.com/proposal/svcc Talking with son at Qatar from rural NepalImg Src: http://www.teliasonera.com

22. Policy Issues • Different policies in ICT with the involvement of different ministries. • Policy harmonization required • Legacy Policy • Convergence approach have to be adopted • Telecommunications, broadcasting, content management • Different licensing regime (basic-PSTN, mobile, limited mobility, internet service)

23. Policy Issues…1 • Lack of clear policy with vision of work • Content 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 organizations • MoIC/MoEST/NTA => major policy formulating organizations

24. 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.

25. Policy Issues (QoS/Interconnection)…2 • Low QoS, Determining factors for Nepal • Network capacity planning and optimization • Coverage/Terrains • Frequency Allocation/Planning • End-user mobile device performance (device quality) • Power ( load-shedding) problem (avg. blackout 35hrs/week throughout the year) • Unplanned Urbanization • Interconnection Issues • Lack of proper policy/guideline for IP based network interconnection (VoIP, NGN..)

26. Type Approval issues • 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 country • removes 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)

27. Conclusion & Recommendations

28. Conclusion & Recommendations …1

29. Conclusion & Recommendations …1

30. 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

31. Thank You!