Nepal Digital Infrastructure Company Fully Operational, Aims to Transform IT Sector

Kathmandu. Nepal Electricity Authority's subsidiary 'Nepal Digital Infrastructure Company' has come into full operation. The authority has brought it into operation with the aim of bringing about a change in the country's information technology and telecommunications sector. 

This company has started its work with the goal of becoming the backbone of quality and reliable internet service, telecommunications, and information technology sector, the authority informed. NEA's Executive Director Hitenra Dev Shakya said that this company, based on the concept of sharing infrastructure, will enhance urban beauty. 

He said, 'The authority expects it to play an important role in expanding internet access in remote areas and in the integrated development of the information technology system.'

According to the authority, this company will provide infrastructure to internet service providers in a plug-and-play model. This way, service providers will not have to go through the hassle of erecting their own poles or stringing wires.  

It is expected that by using the authority's infrastructure, the capital expenditure of service providers will significantly decrease, and consumers will directly benefit from cheaper internet, the authority also stated. 

The company has also informed that it will provide optical fiber, underground ducts, and poles owned by the authority as 'passive assets' on rent.  This company will prioritize removing the tangle of wires, which is a major problem in the Kathmandu Valley. 

'We expect that the shared use of underground pipes will restore urban beauty and also reduce the risk of fire and accidents caused by the entanglement of electricity and telephone wires,' said Executive Director Shakya. 'The hassle of each company digging roads separately will also end with this.'

Shakya emphasized that competition should now be in service quality, not in infrastructure. He said that only if everyone uses the same digital road will there be competition between companies for quality service and affordable rates. He mentioned that the company also plans to provide various services related to data centers, stating that consumers will definitely benefit from this.

He said that the work through the company will further facilitate the government's goal of bringing digital connectivity to every household in Nepal. 

'We expect this company to give new momentum to that,' he said. 'Since it is very expensive for private companies to build their own infrastructure in rural areas, using the authority's existing transmission lines will reduce service costs and create an environment where the general public can get internet at a cheaper price.'

His statement is that a new chapter has been added to Nepal's digital transformation journey with the establishment of Nepal Digital Infrastructure Company.  The authority expressed confidence that this will prove to be a stepping stone in realizing the government's Digital Nepal Framework.