Telecoms offering bundling schemes to woo customers

KATHMANDU, OCT 18 - 2013

 
Telecom companies have been going for service bundling schemes in a bid to attract customers and sell their products. Nepal Telecom (NT), Ncell and United Telecom Limited (UTL) have been offering their service by lumping it with different brands of cell phones. 

With mobile handsets supporting IP CDMA technology in short supply in the market, NT has been bundling its RUIM cards with Micromax, Alcatel and Lenovo handsets in order to sell mobile lines.

The cell phones cost from Rs 5,500 to Rs 20,500 depending on the brand, model and features. Customers buying this package also get voice and data service worth Rs 200 to Rs 500 free of charge each month as an incentive. 

Besides handsets, NT has been bundling its RUIM cards with USB dongles with an eye on data service. The bundling scheme is directed at selling RUIM cards for its Sky Pro service based on IP CDMA technology that supports both data and voice service. 

NT’s Deputy Managing Director Anoop Ranjan Bhattarai said that these bundling schemes had helped to increase their customer base when a shortage of IP CDMA technology-based handsets had been hindering growth of this segment. “We are also working to introduce this type of scheme for high-end handsets after a few months,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Ncell and UTL in the private sector have also launched bundling schemes under which customers can buy handsets and obtain voice and data services at cheaper rates. Under Ncell’s Ncell Load Festival offer which had been launched targeting Dashain shoppers, customers can acquire a Micromax set loaded with Ncell’s special service packs at low rates. 

A senior official at the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) said that such bundling schemes provide services at cheaper rates only within the telecom ’s home network. “The free calls and talk time values are normally applicable only within the home network which is the flip side of these offers,” he added.

For example, Ncell customers buying its service bundle with Micromax handsets will get an Ncell SIM card, 30 minutes of talk time and 30 free SMS within the Ncell network. In addition, customers will get data worth 10 MB, 40 MB and 100 MB free for 12 months, depending on the handset chosen and the monthly balance recharged.

Ncell said that customers could buy a Micromax X 085 handset loaded with Ncell services worth Rs 3,600 for Rs 1,449. Likewise, the Micromax X 267 pack worth Rs 4,451 can be acquired at Rs 2,219, while the Micromax Ninja A54 pack is available at Rs 6,399 compared to its normal price of Rs 9,987.

Similarly, UTL offers two types of service bundling schemes. It provides a fixed wireless phone for Rs 2,400 which comes bundled with talk time worth the same amount. Similarly, a customer buying a ZTE CDMA handset for Rs 1,500 gets talk time worth Rs 3,000, according to UTL.

Source: The Kathmandu Post

Nepal Telecom cuts internet rates

KATHMANDU, MAY 18, 2013

Nepal Telecom has cut internet tariff rates effective from Friday on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. The tariff has been slashed to ensure public access to internet. According to the company, people can enjoy unlimited dial-up internet at a monthly installment of Rs 200. Night surfing of the service is available at Rs 100. The unlimited dial-up in 128 kbps is available for Rs 400. NT is offering 40 per cent bonus data in volume-based ADSL and WiMax internet on the purchase of services for three months or more. Similarly, the EVDO service rate has been slashed from Rs 0.10 for 100 KB to Rs 0.50 for 1MB. NT is also planning to reduce rates of GPRS and 3G data service to the same levels as that of the EVDO data. It has almost halved its lease internet connectivity that is targeted towards the corporate sector. The new tariff for connection by optical fibre or copper wire has rates between Rs 2,500 to Rs 7,500 per month. The lease connectivity is around 256kbps to 100mbps.

Source: THT

Ncell pays govt Rs 1.2b, clears 3G spectrum fee

KATHMANDU, FEB 20 - 2013

Ncell has paid the government Rs 1.20 billion and cleared the third generation (3G) spectrum fee as fixed by the new spectrum policy. Moreover, the company paid Rs 240 million on Tuesday as 3G fee in advance for the current fiscal year.

As per the Telecommunications Radio Frequency Distribution and Pricing Policy 2012, the company was required to pay a total of Rs 1.20 billion for using 2X10 MHz 3G frequency for the last five fiscal years starting from 2007-08. It had paid Rs 522.1 million during the first week of February, and it paid the remaining Rs 677.9 million on Tuesday.

“Even though we started providing 3G service commercially only in May 2010, we have paid the fees for the period prior to this too,” said Milan Mani Sharma, corporate communication expert of Ncell . He added that the government should make a consideration for the period when the service was not commercially provided, and that the amount that has been paid should be adjusted against future dues.

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) assigned 3G spectrum to Ncell in July 2007, and it started commercial service in May 2010. Similarly, Nepal Telecom (NT) has been demanding that the government review its 3G fee under the same consideration.

The state-owned company said it would not pay for the period when the service had not been launched for the public.

Last month, NT paid Rs 488.7 million against the Rs 1.44 billion outstanding as calculated by the government for six fiscal years from 2006-07 to 2011-12.

Based on the new policy, NT and Ncell each have to pay Rs 240 million annually for their 3G spectrum. According to NTA records, it provided 2X10 MHz 3G spectrum to NT in May 2006.

According to the NTA, NT owes Rs 951.3 million until the Radio Frequency Policy Determination Committee under the Ministry of Information and Communications decides to review the 3G fee. NT, which is also the first telecom company in South Asia to start 3G service, paid the fee from March 4, 2010, when it started commercial service, to the last fiscal year-end.

NT maintains that, although it was allocated spectrum seven years ago, it could not start 3G service until 2010 due to the small market size and expensive service and handsets. It had also demanded that the government to review the policy.

An official at the Communications Ministry said that the issue of 3G fees has reached the frequency committee that deals with spectrum affairs. The committee was scheduled to discuss it last week, but it did not happen as some members of the committee were absent, added the official.

Source: The Kathmandu Post

NT subscribers exchanged 14m SMS on Friday

15, Apr 2012

As people widely exchanged New Year wishes through SMS (text messaging service), Nepal 
Telecom said it enjoyed record high volume of SMS business, which numbered at 14 million, on the 
Nepali New Year day on Friday. According to NT, its subscribers exchanged a total 
of 8 million SMSes on the eve of the New Year. "By 2 pm on the New Year day, 
14 million SMSes were exchange by our subscribers," said NT Spokesperson Surendra 
Prasad Thike. 

Given that the exchange of good wishes continues till late on the day, NT anticipates the
actual volume of SMS exchanged could be still higher. In a bid to facilitate the subscribers,
NT had halved the rate of each SMS to 50 paisa on Thursday and Friday. The rate was
exclusive of VAT and other service charges. 

Despite halving the rate, the turnover of NT from SMS crossed over Rs 11 million, excluding
 tax and other service charges, over the two days of New Year eve and New Year.

According to NT, its subscribers had exchanged 10 million SMSes on New Year day last year.
NT has been announcing cut in rates on occasions like New Year and Dashain festival in a bid
to encourage people to use the facility.

Nepal Telecom profit increases by 12.48 per cent

KATHMANDU, FEB 6 2012

Nepal Telecom (NT) posted a 12.48 percent surge in its profit after tax in the last fiscal year 2010-11.

“The company has posted Rs 12.12 billion profit after income tax — up from Rs 10.77 billion in the previous fiscal year 2009-10,” managing director at the company Amar Nath Singh said during its 22th anniversary today.

The company has a target to register Rs 31 billion before-tax profit. “The overall growth rate for the first half of the current fiscal year is in line with its projection,” he added. Nepal Telecom’s management committee has also proposed 45 per cent cash dividend to its shareholders based on its profit for fiscal year 2010-11. Finance Ministry has signaled that it will approve proposal next week.

“Ministry of Information and Communication is yet to forward the file to the Finance Ministry,” said joint secretary at the ministry Baikuntha Aryal,” After we get the proposal, we will pass it immediately.”

Similarly, NT has claimed that the overall financial health of the company is satisfactory, and “it is optimistic that the government will allow the company to introduce a strategic partner within six months,” Singh said.

Nepal Telecom’s subscriber base has also swelled rapidly to 7.3 million till mid-January from 0.4 million eight years ago, he revealed.


Source: THT

NT meets revenue target in Q1

KATHMANDU, DEC 7, 2011

Nepal Telecom (NT) has met its revenue target for the first three months of the current fiscal year.

"The company collected Rs 8.25 billion revenue in the first three months of current fiscal year according to its target," managing director of NT Amar Nath Singh said. "It is encouraging that the company will be able to meet its revenue target for the year,” he said, adding that the company has projected Rs 31 billion revenue for the current fiscal year.

Nepal Telecom (NT) has projected Rs 12 billion net profit for the current fiscal year against last fiscal year's Rs 10.77 billion, Singh added.

Similarly, the company has added 500,000 subscribers in the first four months of current fiscal year, spokesperson Surendra Prasad Thike informed. "Nepal Telecom also witnessed the surge of 285,882 subscribers in its GPRS service.”

The company has replaced its 212 outdated Base Transceiver Station (BTS) in the current fiscal year, he said, adding that it has also set Maintenance Control Centre to maintain service quality. Much hyped project of installing equipment to for 10 million GSM mobile is also underway, Thike said, "NT is in the process of evaluation of received proposals."

Similarly, the company has brought three Vehicle Mounted BTS to sort out traffic congestion problem in mobile connection during the festivals and other occasions, when mobile traffic flow increase.

“NT has also started equipment purchase process to expand its Wi-Max technology for 200,000 lines to the rural areas.”

Post-paid cards

Nepal Telecom is going to introduce recharge card for its post-paid mobile users. "Users can also recharge their post-paid mobile through recharge card,” NT MD Amar Nath Singh said, adding that Nepal Telecom will introduce post-paid recharge card within two months.

Source: THT

NT plans to become No 1 again

KATHMANDU, DEC 06 - 2011

Nepal Telecom has committed to clinch the No 1 spot again. It had lost the top position to Ncell, the first private sector GSM mobile service operator in the country, a few months ago. For this, NT has initiated the process of adding 10 million new subscribers. 

The telephony service provider has already completed the bidding process to purchase equipment for adding 10 million GSM lines and the evaluation process of the bids is on. “We are looking forward to regain the number one spot in the GSM segment,” Amar Nath Singh, the managing director of Nepal Telecom, told a press meet. “We failed to work as per the demands of our customers and we lagged behind to a competitor in the past in the GSM segment, but we will make every effort to clinch the No 1 position again.” 

NT added 500,000 new GSM mobile service subscribers in the first four months of the current fiscal year. It aims to add a total of 1.23 million GSM subscribers this fiscal year—2011/12. Likewise, the company has said that 285,882 subscribers have been provided with the GPRS internet service in the first four months. Amid complaints about inferior quality of telecom services, Singh said the company was working on various techniques to better the quality of mobile phone service in the Kathmandu valley. 

NT has already replaced BTS towers that use the old technology with BTS that has new technologies, consume less energy and has a high capacity. The telephony service provider has continued the process of Radio Frequency Optimisation and has set up a maintenance control centre to make the maintenance work of BTS towers more effective. “The maintenance control centre will help us evaluate the overall activities related with the maintenance work,” Singh said. The NT has also continued fitting batteries with high capacities throughout the country to address problems faced by the general people at the time of power outage. 

The company has also introduced equipment that will help in the payment of bills of the post paid mobile connections, ADSL and PSTN through a recharge card. Currently, the device is being assessed by the NT. “The service is expected to be available within the next two months,” Surendra Prasad Thike, the deputy managing director of NT, said. He added that top-up recharge cards and an electronic PIN-less recharge system was made public as per the company’s plan to bring it into practice within this fiscal year. 

The top-up recharge cards come in the denomination of Rs 10 to Rs 1,000. “This will address the demand for recharge cards with less amount of money,” Thike said. In a bid to manage the traffic and maintain quality during times of huge mass meetings, the NT has brought in three BTS vans. According to the NT, the vehicles are currently being equipped with BTS and other required devices. The vehicles have been bought from ALP Inter Corporation, Thailand. 

NTC has signed an agreement with the company to purchase 13 BTS vans. “Of the13 vans, eight will have less capacity, while five of them will have higher capacities,” Thike said. Once the van is ready, they will be installed at various places as per the requirement. In the first three months of the current fiscal year, the company collected revenue worth Rs 8.25 billion. 

NTC has targeted to collect Rs 31 billion in the current fiscal year. According to Singh, NTC aims to earn a net profit of Rs 12 billion. “Last year, the company successfully generated a net profit or Rs 10.7 billion. The way collections have remained so far, it seems that the figures will be pulled off easily,” Singh said. 

Source: Kantipur