State-owned NT has already started installing equipment for interconnectivity with China Telecom’s extensive fibre footprint and plans to finish trials this month for direct traffic exchange among Nepal, China and India.
"We completed laying optical fibre to Nepal-China border point Rasuwagadi from Kathmandu via Galchhi of Dhading district and Dhunche of Rasuwa district three days ago,” said NT spokesperson Pratibha Vaidya to the Xinhua news agency on Saturday.
“This has paved the way for interconnecting service of the NT with the China Telecom."
The deployment of all-dielectric self-supporting (ADSS) optical fibre was laid from the capital city Kathmandu to the Rasuwagadi border point and Vaidya added: "The completion of all the procedures about connectivity will have significant improvement in data and voice services currently being offered by NT.”
Once NT is connected with China Telecom, it will allow the operator to directly link to the Hong Kong Data Centre, which is one of the largest global data centres in Asia. Nepal can then establish global connectivity through Hong Kong via China.
From June, NT states its service will become cheaper and faster after connecting with hubs in Hong Kong and another in Singapore.
Enhanced connectivity between Nepal and China had been agreed during Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's official visit to China in March of this year.