Ncell Axiata’s plan to increase its 4G coverage in Nepal is taking a new stride as the company is now gradually shifting its 4G LTE operation to the 900MHz frequency band.
Earlier, the Nepal’s second largest mobile network operator (MNO) by subscribers had got permission to operate under the 900MHz and 2100MHz for 4G and 3G networks respectively.
Now, it has enabled the 900MHz band for 4G LTE at more than 30% of its sites, including all major cities and selected semi-rural and rural areas, to provide higher data throughput speeds and improved coverage, including greater indoor penetration.
The 900MHz is a low-frequency band with much more penetration power, thus helpful for cities with huge buildings and infrastructures. Having 4G in 900MHz band together with 1800 MHz can also complement each other for not only coverage but also for speeds. The carrier aggregation feature, that combines the data connection from both bands can significantly boost the 4G network speed.
According to local news outlet Nepali Telecom, the operator plans to deploy the service nationwide over the next twelve months. Similarly, the upcoming VoLTE service in Ncell in the 900MHz band will have better voice quality.
