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ISPs Denounce NEA’s decision to Hike Fees

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ISPs Denounce NEA’s decision to Hike Fees
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January 17: Internet Service Providers’ Association of Nepal (ISPAN) has expressed serious concerns regarding Nepal Electricity Authority’s (NEA) unrealistic and exorbitant hike in the fees it has been charging the Internet service providers (ISP) for using the NEA’s poles and fibres.

Issuing a statement, ISPAN said that the state-run utility has hiked the fees more than 500 percent since the beginning of the current fiscal year.

“We Internet service providers have been serving our customers across the country in an easy and acccessible way at affordable rates using the poles and fibres of the NEA,” said the statement, adding, “But lately, we are in great dilemma as the rates we have been charging to our customers are based on the old rate charged by the NEA.”

ISPAN argued that the NEA’s decision would adversely affect the National Braodband Policy, which envisages providing Internet service at more affordable rates. As per the policy, ISPs had reached an understanding with the government to internally adjust the 13 percent communication service charge imposed by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in order to avoid increasing Internet charge. During the agreement, the government had complied with the ISP’s request that none of the government bodies would act in any way that would result in hike in the Internet charge, the statement said.

ISPAN said that the NEA’s decision to hike the charge is against the agreement reached with the government and that the Internet service providers will not agree to the new terms set by the NEA.

ISPAN also warned that the NEA would be responsible for the consequences if the Internet service gets disrupted due to its decision to hike the fees. The association of Internet service providers also urged the government to form a high-level commission having all stakeholders as its members to sort out the problem.

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