ISPs not to raise Internet charges

July 27: The Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country have agreed not to increase the service charges for Internet broadband service.  A meeting between the government and the internet service providers on Thursday, July 26 reached an agreement to this effect.

The government has already imposed 13 percent telecommunication service charge (TSC) for Internet service starting from July 17 but the ISPs have agreed to not increase the charge instantly.

Binay Bohara, former chairman of ISP Federation, confirmed that the ISPs have agreed not raise the service charges as of now.

“We have agreed not the raise the charges but will adjust it internally,” said Bohara.

Birendra Kumar Mishra, joint secretary at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Prusotam Khanal, senior director of Nepal Telecom and Binay Bohara, former chairman of ISP Federation, have signed the agreement papers on behalf of their respective organizations.

Government had increased the TSC on Internet from 11 percent to 13 percent after the increasing use of Internet resulted in decrease in the use of voice calls.    

The ISP companies in response had increased the Internet chargers for their customers but the government then soon formed a committee to reduce the charges.