Nepalese operators seek spectrum fee payment extension

A number of Nepal’s telecoms service providers have requested that the national industry regulator, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), extend the frequency fee payment deadline and even lower the costs being levied on them. MyRepublica reports that officials at six leading players have requested that the NTA extend the deadline to at least nine months after the end of their current financial year-ends. Under current rules laid down by the Radio Frequency Distribution and Pricing Policy, service providers are required to settle their microwave frequency and minimum frequency fees within six months of the end of their fiscal year. Furthermore, network operators which are using additional frequencies (on top of their basic frequency assignments) are only afforded a three month window from the end of a fiscal year. Finally, the six telcos have requested that the NTA revisits its proposed pricing of fees, noting that since the introduction of the new policy, prices of radio frequency have increased by up to 100%. Previously, frequency prices were fixed on the basis of Telecommunications Act 1997, which was charging a nominal price, they say.