We’ve been hearing about 5G for quite some years now. The government-backed telco, Nepal Telecom has been internally testing the 5G network for several months. To foster the process, Samsung is keen to accompany the telcos through its 5G-enabled smartphones. In this article, we’ll discuss the 5G status and Samsung’s vested interest in the launch of 5G in Nepal.
Samsung’s Interest to Launch 5G in Nepal:
The South Korean tech giant is a well-known brand in Nepal when it comes to consumer electronics. Its Galaxy lineup of smartphones is also well-received in the market. Although the 5G launch is still at the bay currently, the brand has been launching 5G phones in Nepal for quite some years. The Galaxy M14 5G is the cheapest one from Samsung for the time being.
Looking at the existing 2G/3G/4G network, the two major telecom operators, NTC and Ncell are running the service through various bands. Both telcos are sharing Band 8 (900 MHz) and Band 1 (2100 MHz) for 2G and 3G networks respectively. For 4G services, Ncell is working through Band 8 (900MHz) and Band 3 (1800MHz) while NTC runs through Band 3 (1800MHz) and Band 20 (800MHz). The government-backed telco introduced the Band 20 during its VoLTE expansion.
Samsung phones in Nepal support all the aforementioned bands and frequencies. And so, the company is keen to support the 5G network in Nepal as well. Through a press release, the company has vested its interest in launching 5G in Nepal. No, the brand is not getting directly involved with the telcos. Instead, it is willing to launch more full-fledged 5G devices in the country. In short, the brand is urging the need for 5G connectivity as soon as possible.
5G Status in Nepal
Now, let’s take a sneak at the 5G status in Nepal. At the moment, both Nepal Telecom (NTC) and Ncell are in the works to bring 5G. The state-owned telco began testing on February 5th, 2023, while the private one is still longing for approval from the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA). NTC’s internal 5G testing is currently live in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Birgunj amongst its employees. The telco is also waiting for an import license to bring equipment to test the network in other provinces.
Using the Non-standalone (NSA) architecture, NTC’s 5G will be supported by smartphones with 2600MHz 5G band. For starters, the NSA allows the telcos to use the existing infrastructure for upgrading to a 5G network. For example, NTC is currently using its 4G cell towers in the aforementioned areas to test the 5G network.
However, it will also enable 5G using Standalone Architecture (SA) after successfully launching the 5G network on NSA. The SA requires a standalone tower as suggested by the name to run 5G connectivity. It can provide higher bandwidth speeds than the NSA to compare.
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So, when will 5G be commercially available?
The commercial launch date of the 5G network is still kept under the curtain. After concluding the internal testing, the public in major cities might get a chance to test the high-speed network via Nepal Telecom. It is speculated to happen in the Fiscal Year of 2080/81. While Ncell’s 5G will likely take more time as it still awaits government approval.
- Meanwhile, you can check our Best Phones Under 20,000 rupees in Nepal
