KATHMANDU: Any internet service provider must be informed by the Nepal Telecommunication Authority that they do not have permission to raise the cost of internet service.
The regulatory body issued a statement after reports that the internet service provider company had raised the internet fee without permission surfaced in some media, making it abundantly clear that no permission had been granted.
“Recently, reports about an agreement between internet service providers to raise the cost of their services appeared in a number of newspapers, and some of these providers actually increased their rates in accordance with the authority’s orders. The Nepal Telecommunication Authority has raised serious concerns about the way in which consumers have voiced their complaints.”
The Telecommunications Act, 2053, and the Competition Promotion and Market Protection Act, 2063, were violated, the statement said. “The relevant stakeholders are informed that the internet service providers’ collusion to increase the fees and tariff rates of internet services.”
The authority states that internet service providers are not permitted to raise their service fees. For that, the authority must approve the fee rate in accordance with section 42 of the Telecommunications Act of 2053 and the permit’s conditions.
Following that, a notice mentioning the date of authority approval must be published for the benefit of customers and the general public.
It is only after this that the fee may be increased according to the law. No internet service provider has been given permission to charge more than the approved fee and tariff rate as of the time of this writing, per the aforementioned provision.
The statement continues, “The Authority has not yet issued any notice to charge more than the current approved fee and tariff rate of Internet service and has not given any instructions to the Internet service providers to increase the fee and tariff rate, the concerned parties are informed to be clear on the matter.
If bills or invoices have been sent out to customers charging a rate higher than the approved tariff rate, the authority has also asked for that information.