Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has approved the frequency ranges for Fixed Satellite Service within the Ka band segment (19.7-21.2 Ghz Downlink, paired with 29.5-31 Ghz Uplink) for use in Nepal.

With the approval of the Ka band segment, which was recommended by the NTA to the government in January, all regions in the country are expected to benefit from faster internet at affordable rates. The approval means that businesses, communities and government agencies within Nepal will soon access services from one of Asia’s latest, state-of-the-art satellites: Kacific 1.

The Kacific 1 satellite, owned by Kacific Broadband Satellites Group, uses Ka band technology designed specifically to provide reliable, high-speed broadband internet to rural and remote populations through concentrated spot beams and simple easy-to-install onsite 1.2m antennas. This technology, although new in Nepal, has been successfully used in other countries in Asia, including ones with similar mountainous geographies.

Nepal’s mountainous terrains make it difficult for ground-based technologies to provide widespread and reliable coverage, and a large swath of the country cannot be connected with cable-based technologies. This means that for the 22.8 million citizens living in rural areas—around 80 percent of our 28.6 million population—satellite technology is the only way for individuals and organizations to access broadband. All they would need is a small, easy-to-transport and rapidly deployable satellite dish.