Kathmandu. Nepal Digital Infrastructure Company, a subsidiary of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), has come into operation. The Authority has said that it has been brought into operation with the objective of bringing drastic changes in the information technology and telecommunications sector of the country.

The company has started its work with the goal of becoming the backbone of the telecommunications and information technology sector with quality and reliable internet service. According to NTA’s Executive Director Hitendra Dev Shakya, the company is expected to play an important role in enhancing urban beauty, expanding internet access in remote areas and integrated development of information technology system.

According to Authority, this company will provide infrastructure to Internet Service Providers in a plug-and-play model. In this way, service providers do not have to bother to install their own poles or install wires. The authority has also informed that the capital expenditure of the service providers will be significantly reduced by using the Authority’s infrastructure and the consumers will get direct benefit in the form of cheap internet.

Similarly, the company has also informed that it will provide optical fiber, underground ducts, and poles with the authority as passive assets. NEA has also said that the company will work with priority to remove the ‘tangle of wires’ which is the main problem of Kathmandu Valley. “We hope that the common use of underground pipes will not only restore the beauty of the city but also reduce the risk of fire and accidents due to the entanglement of electric and telephone wires,” said Shakya.

Stressing that competition should now be on the quality of service and not on infrastructure, Shakya said, “When everyone uses the same ‘digital road’, there will be competition among companies for quality service and affordable rates, which is sure to directly benefit the consumers.” The company also plans to provide various services related to the data center. ’

He also reminded that the government has set a target to provide digital connectivity to every household in Nepal. “We expect this company to give a new impetus to it,” he said, adding, “Since it is very expensive for private companies to build their own infrastructure in rural areas, using the existing transmission line of NEA will reduce the service cost and create an environment where people will get internet at a cheaper rate.” The establishment of Nepal Digital Infrastructure Company has added a new chapter in Nepal’s journey of digital transformation. NEA believes that this will prove to be a milestone in materializing the government’s ‘Digital Nepal Framework’. ’