1. Current ICT Infrastructure of Nepal and Introduction of NREN
Prashant Manandhar
Nepal Research & Education Network (NREN).
Prime College
22nd APAN, Singapore
17th – 21st July 2006

2. Overview of Nepal Area: 147,797 Sq. Km Population in million: 27.05
Rural Population: 75.5%
Key Economic Sectors:
Agriculture and Tourism
Literacy in English: 18%
Computer ownership per 100 inhabitants: 2.80
Telephone lines per 100 inhabitants: 3.5
Internet users per 100 inhabitants: 1.80
National bandwidth capacity within the country: 1000:1000 Mbps
National average bandwidth at NPIX: 18~25 Mpbs
International bandwidth 100:55 Mbps

3. Human Resource Development in ICT
Universities
Number of Institution
No. of Students Bachelor Level
No. of Students Master Level
No. of Student Ph. D.
Tribhuvan 18
5052
627 4
Kathmandu 3
2904
430
Pokhara 15
1477
380
Purwanchal 16
1930
320
Total 52
11363
1757

4. Present Status of ICT Internet Status
Total Number of Internet Users – 350,000
Number of ISPs – 26
Number of VSAT Network Service Providers – 8
East-West Highway Fiber Optics, in process for connection with Indian ISP, Next Phase to China.
Start of Wireless Internet Service – 2000
Start of Wireless boradband Service
Establishment of Nepal Internet Exchange (npIX) – August 2002
Start of Cable Internet Service – 2004
Ethernet to home Internet

5. Present Status of ICT ICT Infrastructure and Services
Telephone Service Providers – 3(NTC, UTL,STM)
PSTN Fixed Line Telephones –
Mobile Phone Service Provider – 3 (NTC, Spice Nepal, UTL)
Mobile Phone Subscribers GSM & CDMA – ~550000
Data not upto-date, as all providers are rapidly expanding
Number of Fax Mail Service Providers – 6
Number of Satellite Telephone Service Providers – 2
Number of Radio Paging Service Providers – 3
Number of Local Data Network Service Providers – 1
Radio broadcast stations: SW 1,MW 6, FM 22, (Radios: 2,800,000, costs < $1).
Television broadcast stations: 5 (Televisions: 400,000)

6. Government Initiatives for ICT
Establishment of HLCIT: 2003
“High Level Commission Information Technology”
- An apex body formed to provide strategic direction and to help formulate appropriate policy responses for the development of ICT sector.
Passed Cyber Law
Standardization of Nepali Fonts
Establishment of Rural Tele-centers
Construction of ‘IT Park’

7. Introduction NREN
“There is neither sufficient facility available in the country for advance research and development in ICT and in other important subjects nor any formal research and education network exists in the country so that available resources in the globe can be access efficiently. Due to the lack of research infrastructure people are compelled to go abroad for research work and significant numbers of people are flying day to day. Government, non-government, private organizations and individuals have been spending huge budget for research and higher education. Moreover, majority of such people never come back to the country. It has great impact in country’s economy as well as human resource development for country’s overall development”.
Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN) has been established as a facilitator to support for advanced research and education network through the means of Information and Communication Technology and as a knowledge center to support good ICT initiatives and researcher in the country. This entity has been established as a non-profit network under the Prime College, affiliated to Tribhuwan National University, collaboration with various organizations.NREN Details ,

8. NREN Formulation Prime College to act as secretariat www.prime.edu.np
Partners Include
National Education Institutes
National Internet Exchange
Industry association
Interested Educationists and Individuals

9. National Partners Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk
Healthnet, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj
Central Library, Kirtipur, TU
Central Depart of Computer Science, TU
Central Department of Management, TU
Kathmandu University,
Kathmandu College of Management, Kathmandu
Nepal Internet Exchange Point (NPIX)
Industry Bodies
ISP Association of Nepal
Other Projects
Nepal Wireless Project, Nagi Village.
Madan Puraskar Pustakalay & NepaLinux

10. Current NREN Activity
Application for Wireless Network project( ; Voice and Data Monitoring System as follows:
There has been a phone lines terminating at Pokhara (195 KM from KTM). These phones are using as SIP phones to connect to different villages via the WI-FI devices. (The main station is 60 KM line of sight from Pokhara).
The monitoring system has been developed for each phone locations. A Linux based machine and open source application has been use for making the monitoring system.
E-learning for higher education at the villages in local language, Intranet Portal.
Mesh Wireless Networking will be implementing very soon.
IT Troubleshooting knowledgebase information system in local Nepali language.

11. Current ICT infrastructure at Proposed NREN NOC
Network Link and WS
Internet link through Motorola Canopy Wireless Modem (5.2 GHz Spectrum) from local ISP WLINK, to be migrated to fiber by December, 2006.
Local Bandwidth - : 5 Mbps/5 Mbps (downlink / uplink)
International Bandwidth - :192kbps/128kbps (downlink/uplink)
Servers – 2
Routers: Cisco 1751 Series - 1
Switch (24-port 10/100 Base – T Catalyst 2950 ) : 2

12. Current IT infrastructure for NREN
For Research and training Labs:
Routers: Cisco 1750 : 2
Routers: Cisco 1700 Series : 20
CISCO Catalyst 2950 Switch (24-port Fast Ethernet) : 8
Servers
Linux and FreeBSD Server Systems: 2
Windows 2003 Intranet Server : 1
Normal PCs and Workstations using Windows, Linux - 11
Wireless Networking Experiment Center
This lab is used for research, demonstration and testing of advanced networks and latest technologies by Local ISPs, NPIX and researchers.
We are happy to receive used medium to higher end routers and other equipment.

13. Future Plan for NREN
To set up IT infrastructure to connect all universities / institutions and campuses within Nepal.
Problem to be addressed; the bandwidth.
Local ISPs ready to provide unused local capacity for NREN Use at discounted rates.
Need to fund all the hardware. Need switches and Routers
To deliver increased opportunities for collaboration in research.
To facilitate transfer of technology between academic and research institutions.
Extranet

14. Contribute and Support: Nepal Wireless Project;
1997 started in one village (Himanchal Higher Secondary School, Nangi village).
Introduced the Information technology to villagers, most of whom had never seen computers until a few years ago. Most of the villagers still have no idea as what the uses of the computers and Internet are.
Nangi village is located in north west of Nepal on the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges of the Himalayas. Reaching Nangi usually requires two to three days of traveling from Nepal’s capital city, Kathmandu. From Kathmandu, it is a seven hour bus ride or 35 minute plane trip to Pokhara, the second largest city in Nepal. The elevation of Nangi village is about 2,260 m. (7,345 ft).
Target group is the people living in the remote villages of Nepal, where villagers have no means of modern communication means.

15. Contribute and Support: Nepal Wireless Project;

16. Contribute and Support: Nepal Wireless Project;

17. Contribute and Support: Nepal Wireless Project;
The villagers are learning the use of the computers and local area network, very interestingly.
This network mostly for communication purposes since the network is the only means of communication available. The people from the networked villages can send and receive their messages through s using their web mail accounts or through NetMeeting and IP Phones. Also, the teachers and students are getting access to some educational materials that we have put in the intranet now. E- commerce; The management committee and the staff of the projects working of cross-breeding program between yaks and cows.
Now, Has been networked 12 villages.

20. Thank you! prashant@prime.edu.np manandhar_prashant@yahoo.com