Telecommunications service provider Ncell has asked for an additional 40.6Mhz bandwidth of frequency in four different bands from Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA).

“The company has been demanding additional bandwidth of frequency under different bands of frequency since 2010,” said an NTA official. “Recently, we have got another letter from them requesting us to award additional bandwidth frequency it has been asking for a long time.”

It has asked the authority for 1.6Mzh bandwidth under the most popular 900Mzh band so that its bandwidth would be equivalent to that of state-owned Nepal Telecom (NT). Currently, Ncell has 8Mhz bandwidth of frequency, while NT has 9.6Mhz under the 900Mzh band.

Both the operators are offering second generation (2G) and global system for mobile (GSM) service from this band, which is considered most valuable as its coverage is very high. “In this band, lower number of base transceiver stations (BTS) can give higher coverage,” said senior NTA engineer.

Ncell has also asked for 4Mzh bandwidth under the 1,800Mzh band. At present, it has 11Mhz bandwidth under the band, and if its demand is fulfilled, it will have 15Mhz bandwidth which is equivalent to that of what NT has. Telecom operators are using this band to provide third generation (3G) services.

Under the 2,100Mhz band, Ncell has demanded 5Mhz bandwidth. Both Ncell and NT have 10Mhz bandwidth each under this band and they are offering 3G services from this band.

Ncell has also asked the authority to award 30Mhz bandwidth under the 2,300Mhz band. NT has 30Mhz bandwidth under this band of frequency which it uses to provide Wimax internet service.

NTA sources said they will award the additional bandwidth of frequency to Ncell only after the Radio Frequency Policy is amended.

Currently, the draft of the amended policy is at the Ministry of Information and Communication for review and approval. “Once the policy is finalised, we will not take much time in awarding the additional bandwidth to Ncell,” said the NTA source. “We will award the additional bandwidth according to the policy.”