WorldLink & Mercantile Submit Proposal To Expand Broadband Service

Nepal’s two prominent Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Worldlink and Mercantile Communications Private Ltd, have requested Nepal Telecom Authority (NTA) to expand their broadband service.

Previously, NTA had asked for applications from interested ISPs to lay broadband Internet network in Province No 6. This province includes Jumla, Humla, Mugu, Dolpa, Kalikot, Rukum, Rolpa and Jajarkot districts.

Min Prasad Aryal, spokesperson for NTA said, “WorldLink and Mercantile have recently submitted their applications to expand the broadband internet in districts of Province No 6. A technical committee of NTA is currently analyzing their proposals and will soon award the broadband project to one ISP“.

In April, NTA had called for proposals from interested ISPs in two packages. The first package covered Humla, Jumla, Mugu and Dolpa and the second covered Kalikot, Rukum, Jajarkot and Rolpa. NTA has set the price at Rs 300 million. But these ISPs have submitted a proposal for a lesser cost.

NTA has directed that the ISPs must complete the project within 1 year of the contract and deliver free Internet services to customers in the region for at least 2 years.