Government preparing to rollout 5G test from four cities

As the government gears up to test the latest fifth generation (5G) technology in four cities of the country, consumers in the selected cities will be able to enjoy the service for free during the trial phase. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has announced that it will soon commence the testing of 5G network in four cities of the country in the initial phase. Along with Kathmandu, the government plans to test 5G in Pokhara, Birgunj and Biratnagar. Speaking at a discussion program held by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology on March 16, Communications Minister Parbat Gurung said that necessary technical and infrastructure studies were being carried out for the 5G test. The Ministry has instructed Nepal Telecom to make necessary preparations for the 5G test within the current fiscal year, as per MoCIT Secretary Hari Prasad Basyal. According to Nepal Telecommunication Authority, frequencies of 700, 900, 2,300 and 2,600 MHz under the low band, 3,300, 3,400, 3,600, and 4,100 MHz under the medium band and 26 GHz under the high band have been included in the list. Whether or not service providers will be allocated the frequencies will be fixed only after the decision of the National Radio Frequency Policy Determination Committee.