China to provide better Internet access in Nepal

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Running over the Himalayas and all the way to Hong Kong, a length of optical fiber is changing locals’ daily lives in Nepal.

Built by China Telecom Global (CTG), the link is part of the company’s mission to provide greater Internet access and services to Nepal.

Considered a move to break the decades-long monopoly of India's telecom service provider in the Nepali market, CTG's Internet services are eagerly expected by the local telecommunication industry and people who do business online.

Surfing the Internet /Gbtimes Photo

Calling himself a pioneering figure of online video news in Nepal, Sitaram Bhattarai said that he has been troubled by the “not-so-reliable” Internet service for years, as it has been solely provided by India since installation in Nepal. But now, he is no longer bothered.

A network operation center not far from his office monitors the Himalayan optical fiber. So far, all tests show that the Internet access provided by China is very stable. Even better, it’s affordable.

Nepal Telecom is optimistic and ambitious about the connection’s market prospects.

4G service is only available in two cities in Nepal at present. /CGTN Photo

Currently, 4G service is only available in two cities in Nepal, Kathmandu and Bokhram. But China’s services are expected to open new business opportunities for the whole mobile Internet market. Kaminiraj Bhandari, managing director of Nepal Telecom said that focusing more on mobile services will allow “telecom providers to give customers good quality services, on-demand services”.

Providing high-quality services to Nepal is only one part of CTG's plan. According to Deng Xiaofeng, its general manager, the cooperation is a win-win strategy. Inspired by the project, Deng recently expanded CTG’s Internet services to Pakistan, Laos and Thailand.

/VCG Photo

“We want to build a grand corridor and a big platform for telecommunication. I’d call this an ‘information-centered high-speed link’ along the Belt and Road routes. This offers our company a great opportunity. This opportunity also belongs to all of our partner companies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. We can develop together.”

Back in Nepal, people like Bhattarai really want to grow their businesses based on the Internet services. They are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a faster and more reliable Internet service, as they believe that better connections to the outside world can improve lives.