RTDF only in Pilot Project

 By Eak Raj Bastola

Though the Rural Telecommunications Development Fund (RTDF)  has collected the 5.18 billion from the Telecommunication and Internet Service Provider for the development of this sector, it has not use the money for the development of this sector.

Out of 5.18 billion funds in RTDF, 2.5 million in Pilot Project and some 265.6 million has only been granted to Nepal Telecom. The regulator has not been able to use the fund to increase access to telecommunication services in rural areas due to a lack of coordination between governments.

Currently, RTDF is operating Internet and Telephony service as Pilot Project as a common service centre (CSC) in Lamjung’s 5 V.D.C Gilung, Borletar, Tarkungghat, Baglungpani, Khudi influencing 1100, 800, 600, 300, 300 students respectively.. In each VDC’s RTDF have granted 5 lakhs rupees for Scanner, Fax-machine, Printer, 2 set computers, headphones, WebCam.  The project slogan is “Connect School, Connect Community”. After the successful implementation of CSC in Lamjung, RTDF is planning to lauch in other places too, Former-member, Reg Bhahadur Bhandari, said.

 “If the RTDF fund is used, it will make a big change in Information Technology”, Bhandari shared. The government was planning to use the fund for constructing optical fiber network aiming at connecting all districts headquarters under the District Optical Fiber Network project by 2014. However, Nepal Telecommunication Authority has informed to active RTDF fund soon.  RTDF has to invest in infrastructure sharing, resource sharing that can be used all the telecommunications provider of Nepal. Single BTS can be used to different operator for the data transmission. “It will minimize the cost on infrastructure”, Bhandari suggested”.

RTDF fund is operated by the two percent payment of the total annual income by the Telecommunications firms and ISPs as specified by the Article (30) 4 of the Nepal Telecommunication Act Fund can be disbursed Telephone (wired or wireless), mobile, internet or internet telephony services in the rural areas or developing and expanding telephone and mobile services in areas where the existing telephone services are insufficient, Bhandari told to TNP. RTDF grants loan or assistant is provided on the competitive basis and delivered in a phase wise manner only after receiving evidence that the processes mentioned in the work schedule has been carried out.