Under the plan, NT has started 3G service in Sunsari and Morang districts in the Eastern Region; Banke, Bardia, Surkhet, Dailekh, Dang, Rolpa, Salyan, Pyuthan and Jumla districts in the Mid-Western Region and all the nine districts in the Far Western Region. NT has erected 107 BTS towers in these districts to expand its 3G service.

According to the company, the 3G network will be initially available to customers residing in the district headquarters, major business hubs and surrounding areas. In the near future, the service will be expanded to all parts of the district, said NT.

The expansion of 3G service is part of NT’s plan to add 10 million mobile lines. Its ambitious 10 million mobile lines project, which was started two years ago, is being implemented in two packages, A and B. Under Package A, 5.2 million mobile lines will be distributed in the Eastern, Mid-Western, Far Western and Central regions (except Kathmandu). Package B is being implemented in the Kathmandu valley and the Western Region under which 4.8 million lines are being distributed.

NT plans to expand its services in other remote and rural areas of the districts within a year. “We have started services in the district headquarters and neighbouring areas, and we are planning to offer services in the village areas soon,” said NT Spokesp-erson Guna Keshari Pradhan. “As per our plan, we will expand our 3G service to all the 75 districts by the end of the next fiscal year 2014-15.”

With NT expanding 3G services, competition between NT and Ncell in the data segment will be further intensified. As of mid-March, NT has a 52 percent market share in the data business while Ncell holds 46 percent.

The MIS Report of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) shows NT has 3.9 million users till mid-March, while Ncell has 3.8 million users in the GPRS, EDGE and WCDMA segment.