By Telecom Lead Team: Nepal Telecom has selected Airspan
Networks, a provider of 4G broadband wireless access networks, for rolling out
LTE 4G services across the nation.
The network will provide high-speed data services to
thousands of residents and businesses.
Recently, Nepal Telecom reported a 12.48 percent rise in
net profit for its fiscal year 2010/11 ended Jestha 2068 (June 2011), to
NPR12.12 billion (USD157.5 million), up from NPR10.77 billion in the
year-earlier period.
Nepal Telecom net profit up 12% in FY 2010-11
The company has set a target of NPR31 billion for pre-tax
profit in its current financial year and its first half performance is in line
with its projection.
The NT network is incorporating Airspan’s outdoor macro
base station, Air4G, and is operating in the 2.3-2.4 GHz frequency band which
was assigned to NT last year.
Subscribers will be equipped with a variety of user
devices including outdoor mounted units for longer range, indoor self-install
units and USB devices for true mobility.
The deployment is scheduled to be completed within 360
days of the contract sign date. Nepal Telecom will be covering 58
municipalities and all 3,915 VDCs throughout Nepal. A VDC in Nepal is the lower
administrative part of its local development ministry.
“After careful evaluation of several competing
technologies, we found Airspan to offer the most comprehensive and
cost-effective solution that would enable us to meet the deployment schedule
requirements and deliver the promised capacity and throughput,” said Amar
Nath Singh, NT Managing Director.
“The competition for this deployment was intense,
but Airspan was able to substantiate its leading technological capabilities and
emerge with the product of choice. We are looking forward to working with NT,
assisting them in their deployment and in delivering broadband across the
nation,” said Amit Ancikovsky, Airspan President of Products and Sales.
Airspan products include Macro, Pico and Micro base
stations, a wide variety of user devices, and advanced core network products,
providing 4G LTE and WiMAX connectivity solutions operating in the 700 MHz up
to 5.9 GHz bands.
According to Nepal Telecommunications Authority, NT had a
total of 766,189 fixed (PSTN + WiLL) subscribers at that date, as well as 6.502
mobile customers (both GSM and CDMA), 77,737 ADSL connections and 5,464 dial-up
internet users.
