Telecom and Internet Service Providers Suffer Rs 300 Million in Damage

Telephone and internet service providers in Nepal suffered damage worth around Rs 300 million due to landslides, floods, and inundation caused by recent incessant rainfall.

According to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), while the full extent of losses faced by internet service providers is still being assessed, preliminary estimates indicate that Nepal Telecom and Axiata Ncell sustained damage totaling approximately Rs 220 million. NTC alone suffered losses amounting to Rs 150 million, while Ncell incurred damage of around Rs 7 million, the NTA reported based on preliminary findings.

Dr Pradip Paudyal, deputy spokesperson for the NTA, stated, "We have gathered data from 15 internet service providers so far, and it is estimated that their losses amount to approximately Rs 70 million."

The disaster disrupted telephone and internet services in many areas across the country, primarily due to power supply interruptions caused by landslides, floods, lightning, and inundation. Paudyal added that telecommunication services are gradually being restored as power is being reestablished. -- RSS