Nepal Telecom plans to conduct the 5G trial using the 2600 MHz frequency band
State-owned Nepal Telecom has postponed its 5G trial by several weeks, citing a dearth of compatible mobile devices. Specifically, the carrier will conduct its trial using the 2.6 GHz airwaves that it obtained from telecom regulator Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA). But, according to Nepal Telecom, not enough devices in the country support this frequency.
“We installed the required equipment to conduct a 5G trial according to the allocated frequency,” confirmed Nepal Telecom spokesperson Shobhan Adhikari, but added that the carrier found “only a small number of mobile sets operate 5G in 2600 MHz frequency in the local market.”
Nepal Telecom, Adhikari continued, is going to take than next “two to three weeks” to identify the mobile sets and other devices that support 5G in the allocated frequency. Once this is complete, he said, the company will “move ahead with the trial.”
The first phase of the planned trial was going to take place in Sundhara and Babarmahal of Kathmandu as the company has already installed 5G equipment in those areas. Ultimately, Nepal Telecom will conduct trials in one location each across seven provinces.
Nearly 95% of Nepal’s total population is covered by mobile broadband, and Nepal Telecom, specifically, claims 7.13 million 3G users and 11.5 million 4G users.
In addition to the 2.6 GHz frequency band, Nepal’s NTA in February 2021 recommended the following spectrum bands for 5G use: 700 MHz, 900 MHz, 2.3 GHz, 3.3 GHz, 3.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 4.1 GHz and 26 GHz bands.
