Government moves to upgrade internet infrastructure at Singha Durbar

Kathmandu. The government has intensified efforts to improve the quality of internet services at Singha Durbar, the country's main administrative hub, and surrounding government agencies. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Dr. Bikram Timilsina has directed relevant bodies to make internet services more reliable, faster, and uninterrupted to ensure that technological infrastructure for government operations remains robust.

During a discussion with the head of the Integrated Data Management Center (IDMC), Minister Timilsina emphasized ensuring high-level internet access in all government offices. He instructed that preparedness, monitoring, and risk management be strengthened to prevent service disruptions under any circumstances.

Directing the relevant agencies to identify and resolve potential issues in a timely manner, Minister Timilsina stated that responsibility and accountability must be increased. Furthermore, he has ordered the deployment of a skilled technical team through Nepal Telecom to immediately address and resolve internet outages caused by technical or human errors.

During the discussion, IDMC Chief Manish Bhattarai informed that a 1 Gbps broadband service via Nepal Telecom and an additional 250 Mbps internet capacity for 'G-Cloud' are currently in operation within Singha Durbar. However, he noted that damage to optical fibers during road and physical infrastructure construction often leads to slow internet speeds and occasional service outages in some offices.

Bhattarai pointed out the need to securely bury optical fibers for a long-term solution. He mentioned that while there was previously an 'internet ring' system to maintain service continuity through an alternative system, it has become weak, and efforts are underway to strengthen it again.

Bhattarai also noted that while the external internet is managed by the management center, the internal network and server management of each office remain the responsibility of the respective agencies, highlighting the need for skilled IT personnel in every ministry and body.