Parliamentary committee directs NTA to clash rates

The parliamentary committee has directed the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) to provide cellular mobile service at the same rate all over the country and also open Internet phone (VOIP) service for all, Kantipur Daily reports.

The meeting of the Environment, Communication and Technology committee of the interim parliament held Sunday gave the directives stressing on making telecommunication service more accessible to the people in rural areas.

MP Raghuji Panta, a member of the committee, said they asked Nepal Telecom to provide telephone services at the same rates all over the country by doing away with mobile roaming and STD charges for now, to provide those service in local rates.

“The NTA and telecom are positive on making all telephone calls (inside the country) local after doing the same with long distance mobile phones,” he told Kantipur Daily.

Interim parliament lawmaker Panta said after the government opens internet phone (VOIP) service, the telecommunication service Magsasay Prize winner Mahabir Pun has been operating in the remote areas would get legitimacy. “Telemedicine, long distance education…this would be useful for everything,” he said adding, “nobody can stop fast emerging technology, we only have to regulate it by formulating laws.”

The committee has reached the conclusion of consulting and taking the advice of Pun, telecommunication expert Binay Kumar Kasaju and Gorbazar Upadhyaya on the law to be formulated in the telecommunication field and immediately open this kind of service. nepalnews.com ag Aug 20 07