Sim Card in Nepal - Compare Sim Cards - Which Sim Card is Best Namaste or Ncell - Sim Card network Signal and Coverage in Nepal
In Nepal there are major 2 telecom companies one is own by the government operated by Nepal Telecom they sale Namaste Sim Card Prepaid, Namaste Sim Card Postpaid, CDMA Sim Cards Prepaid and postpaid with data and voice, Sky Pro, Evdo. Beyond mobile sim cards they have regular land line, ADSL internet and various telecom services. Nepal telecom is the only company in Nepal providing various types of telecom services together under one company Nepal Telcom formerlly NTC Nepal Telecom Authority.
Though telecom services in Nepal was only allowed by government latter government allowed private and international companies the most successful company to catch this offer is Ncell formerly Mero Mobile. Ncell is private company own by Teleia Sonera an European Company. Currently Ncell hold the major GSM Market and Users. Ncell has the wide data users because of its easily availability and simplicity to use.
Here is the short comparison between Nepal Telecom (NT) and Ncell Sim Cards available in Nepal.
Though telecom services in Nepal was only allowed by government latter government allowed private and international companies the most successful company to catch this offer is Ncell formerly Mero Mobile. Ncell is private company own by Teleia Sonera an European Company. Currently Ncell hold the major GSM Market and Users. Ncell has the wide data users because of its easily availability and simplicity to use.
Here is the short comparison between Nepal Telecom (NT) and Ncell Sim Cards available in Nepal.
Features
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Nepal Telecom, NT, NTC
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Ncell, Mero Mobile, Spice Nepal
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Compatible Network
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GSM , GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA, CDMA, EVDO, HSDPA
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GSM, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, 3G
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Simplicity in Use
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Moderate
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Good
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Network Availability
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Good in Major Cities, Best in Villages and rural area CDMA covers almost all districts of Nepal.
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Very Good in City
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National Calling Cost
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Cheaper
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Moderate
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International Calling
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Cheaper 1424
India
USA
China
Hong Kong
Golf
Europe
And All other Counties
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Moderate
Cheaper in Europe & USA
Expensive to Some less call out going countries
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National Roaming
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Free
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Free
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National in coming
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Free
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Free
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International in coming
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Free
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Free
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Validity
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Good but Need to recharge regularly
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Unlimited validity if you use it regularly but expire faster though you have enough balance
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Customer service - Support
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Moderate
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Very Good
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Majority Owned by
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Nepal Government
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Private European - Teleia Sonera
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If you are searching for 4G sim card right now you have to go out of Nepal to find it... Hmm most of the countries are offering 4G services but due to governing authority delay that is still a dream for the Nepalese people, when 3G was launched it was the first among the south Asian countries but for 4G it remains as a dream so far.
below are the information related to the choosing the mobile, operating system and type of Sim Cards.
How to buy a new mobile phone
Buying a new mobile is becoming a more difficult and some may say more important decision, as choice is more varied, and contracts are becoming longer and more expensive. Before you buy, read this guide to get a better understanding of your options.
Contract phones, pay-as-you-go or SIM-only?
When searching for a new mobile phone, you have three main options: purchasing a contract, buying a pay-as-you-go phone or simply taking out a SIM-only deal. Each of these has their own benefits and costs vary.
Contract Phones
Good because...
· You get the latest phones for free.
· You receive generous minutes, texts and data allowances each month.
Not good because...
· You're tied to a long contract.
· You pay a fixed amount of money each month.
A contract phone essentially means that you take out a fixed-term contract with a mobile phone network and pay a fixed amount for it each month. You generally get a free handset, because you pay its cost back over the duration of the contract. Contracts most often last for 24 months, however 12- and 18-month deals are available.
When purchasing a contract phone, you receive a set number of free minutes, texts and in certain cases data so that you can access the internet from your handset. If you were to exceed this free allowance, you would pay for your usage on top of your monthly contract fee. Note that the majority of contracts don't allow you to use your free allowance abroad, which often catches people out. At the end of your term, you move on to a rolling one-month contract, which you can end at any time. At this point, your network will prompt you to upgrade and sign a new contract. But if you want to get the best mobile phone deal, it's always worth switching.
Pay-as-you-go
Good because...
· You don't pay a fixed monthly fee because you're not signed to any contract.
· You can manage your finances and usage easily.
Not good because...
· You have to pay up-front for the phone.
· Call costs are often higher.
Pay-as-you-go is generally a cheap and easy way to get yourself started with a mobile phone. As its name suggests, you only pay as you use the phone, whether that's making calls, sending texts or using the internet. You buy your credit up-front and then run this down as you go along. One drawback with pay-as-you-go, is that you have to buy your handset up-front. So if you want the latest and greatest smartphone, be prepared to pay a few hundred pounds for the privilege.
SIM-only
Good because...
· You can get cheap contracts.
· Contract lengths start at one month.
Not good because...
· You don't get a phone as part of the deal.
A SIM-only deal is just that – you get the SIM and nothing else. Similar to a contract phone, you sign up to a fixed-term contract and receive a set allowance of minutes, texts and data. Despite this, there are a number of key differences between SIM-only and contract deals, the primary one being that the former presumes you've got your own handset. Another difference is that SIM-only contracts can be as short as one month and as long as 24 months.
Do you need a smartphone?
Although most handsets on the market are smartphones, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you need one.
First you need to look at how you use your mobile phone: is it for just making calls and sending text messages? If so, you might find it cheaper and simpler to pick up a standard mobile phone which doesn’t come with all the fancy apps and features attached. Because non-smartphones are not connected to the web, you won't need a data allowance in your contract, which means you'll be paying a cheaper monthly rate.
However, if you’re keen to join the smartphone age by having the internet, social media and apps at your fingertips, then there are plenty of cheap smartphones on the market too.
Android, Apple, BlackBerry or Windows?
Before deciding on your handset, you can select between a number of different operating systems, or OS. This refers to the software that the phone uses to operate from. Apple's operating system, called iOS, and BlackBerry's are used only by the phones that those manufacturers make. In contrast, the Android OS, developed by Google, is open source, which means it can be modified and used by any phone manufacturer.
Therefore, when it comes to upgrading your Android handset, you can select from a number of different options, from HTC and Sony Mobile to Motorola and Samsung, and have a similar experience. One major difference between Android and Apple's iOS, is that you're not locked into a device or an application like iTunes. You can easily add and remove content and files from any computer to your phone without having to pre-register or lock your device.
LTE (Long Term Evolution) is a common phrase these days when it comes to band support from phone manufacturers. As much as you’d like to know, LTE, in simpler words, is a wireless communication standard for mobile devices which is of course faster than the 3G network or UMTS as we know it. LTE in Nepal is not a impossibility, its just a matter of time. Also if you are well aware, you might as well know that NTC has already launched Wi-MAX which is a LTE competitive network for data transfer. So, we have 4G-Wi-MAX as of now but not the 4G network for our SIM cards. Will we have one? Any sooner? Lets dig deep!
THE NECESSITY:
LTE in Nepal, might not be a necessity as of now but we’ll soon be left scratching our heads when top-tier manufacturers start having LTE in every phones. Even as of now, high-end phones are all packed with LTE. So basically, its like the feature is there but you wont be able to use it simply because our carriers don’t support LTE!
Having an LTE means having wireless speeds upto 300 Mbps (download) and upto 75 Mbps (upload). I know that’s too much but “too-much” is what makes LTE a choice abroad. With a perfect combo of modern-era internet usage and portability, LTE is a thing to opt now, if not any sooner!
THE EXAMPLES:
LTE was first brought up by NTT Docomo from Japan in 2004 but its commercialization began in 2005. The first public LTE Service was by Telia Sonera in Oslo (yepp! that’s the company behind Ncell!). As per the stats from Global mobile Suplliers’ Association (GSA) 331 LTE Networks have been commercially launched in 112 countries and the map shows the countries which have LTE.
It further confirms that new operators and countries are thinking of deploying LTE services and the list includes Nepal too. See iit for yourself:
TeliaSonera, which owns 80% of Nepalese GSM operator Spice Nepal Private Ltd (Ncell) through TeliaSonera Asia Holding, has announced plans to upgrade the cellco’s network with 4G technology provided it receives the requisite licence and spectrum from the government. Myrepublica quotes Hakan Dahlstrom, head of TeliaSonera’s Mobility Services division, as saying: ‘I can’t exactly say the date. But if we get permission and spectrum in Nepal, we are positive [about our plan] to operate the service.’
Ncell launched the country’s first 3G services at the base camp of Mount Everest, in late-October 2010 and has since approached the regulator, the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) for a licence and radio frequencies to offer 4G. TeliaSonera says the NTA has yet to respond to Ncell’s request. The Nordic parent group intends to launch 4G service in most of the European countries in which it is present by 2011, and hopes to add Nepal by 2012. In the meantime, Ncell continues to roll out its 2G/3G network and aims to cover 90% of the population by the end of this year, thanks to a USD100 million investment. It currently covers 85% of Nepalis. Ncell is also planning to introduce value added services (VAS) in ‘new sectors’ before the end of the year, says TeliaSonera.
Nepal Telecom Selects Airspan for 4G Countrywide Coverage
February 22nd, 2012
Serving Municipalities and Village Development Committees (VDC) with advanced wireless broadband access for high-speed Internet
Boca Raton, FL, February 22, 2012 – Airspan Networks Inc., a leading provider of 4G broadband wireless access networks, announced today that Nepal Telecom (NT) has selected its 4G equipment for a countrywide deployment throughout the nation of Nepal. The network will provide high-speed data services to thousands of residents and businesses.
The NT network is incorporating Airspan’s high-power, all outdoor macro base station, Air4G, and is operating in the 2.3-2.4 GHz frequency band which was assigned to NT last year. Subscribers will be equipped with a variety of user devices including outdoor mounted units for longer range, indoor self-install units and USB devices for true mobility.
The deployment is scheduled to be completed within 360 days of the contract sign date. At completion, 58 municipalities and all 3,915 VDCs throughout Nepal will be connected. A VDC in Nepal is the lower administrative part of its local development ministry
Amar Nath Singh, NT Managing Director, said, “After careful evaluation of several competing technologies, we found Airspan to offer the most comprehensive and cost-effective solution that would enable us to meet the deployment schedule requirements and deliver the promised capacity and throughput.”
“We are extremely proud of this commercial win,” commented Amit Ancikovsky, Airspan President of Products and Sales. “The competition for this deployment was intense, but Airspan was able to substantiate its leading technological capabilities and emerge with the product of choice. We are looking forward to working with NT, assisting them in their deployment and in delivering broadband across the nation.”
Airspan will be displaying its comprehensive product portfolio, including the Air4G, at the Mobile World Congress exhibition in Barcelona, February 27 through March 1, Booth #1C53.
Airspan products include Macro, Pico and Micro base stations, a wide variety of user devices, and advanced core network products, providing 4G LTE and WiMAX connectivity solutions operating in the 700 MHz up to 5.9 GHz bands.
About Nepal Telecom
Nepal Telecom was previously a government controlled corporation, but was converted to a public limited company on April 14, 2004. Nepal Telecom is a progressive, customer spirited and consumer responsive entity which is committed to providing nationwide reliable telecommunication service to serve as an impetus to the social, political and economic development of the country. Our vision is to remain a dominant player in telecommunication sector while also extending reliable and cost effective telecommunication services to every nook and corner of the country.
About Airspan Networks Inc.
Airspan (OTC Markets: AIRO) is a leading 4G wireless solution provider. With over 500 customers in over 100 countries and as a top vendor for carrier-class broadband wireless solutions, Airspan is recognized as a leader and pioneer in 4G and broadband wireless technologies. Providing an expansive product portfolio, Airspan offers customers the widest selection of 4G products in the industry with an unsurpassed level of technology to benefit their business case. Airspan has solutions spanning the 700 MHz to 6 GHz frequency bands.www.airspan.com.
Oak Investment Partners XI, Limited Partnership holds a controlling interest in Airspan. Airspan is not subject to the informational reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and, accordingly, does not file reports, financial statements, proxy statements, information statements or other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, financial position, future revenues, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management, may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. The words “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions or negative variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. Investors and others are therefore cautioned that a variety of factors, including certain risks, may affect our business and cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
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