KATHMANDU/BEIJING: Nepal is likely to get internet connection through Chinese optical fiber from next month, ending India's monopoly over the online services in the landlocked Himalayan country.Nepal has relied on India for internet services for long as the country is optically connected with the southern neighbour through Bhairahawa, Birgunj and Biratnagar.However, the connection with China will end the monopoly of India in supply of internet bandwidth.The long-awaited internet connection from China is expected to be completed by the end of July as the work of laying optical fiber on the Chinese side has resumed.Nepal has already completed the task of laying optical fiber on its side for the connection.The task of laying optical fiber was about to be completed in early June. But it could not take place after an avalanche disrupted the work on the Chinese side, an official said. Nepal would have already been connected with Chinese internet if the work was not halted in June," the official at the Nepal Telecom said.Shobhan Adhikari, deputy spokesperson for the Nepal Telecom, said that the local government of China had suspended the work of laying optical fiber after a worker collapsed due to high attitude sickness. The sudden change in the plan has delayed the project by almost a month," he added.Once the work to lay optical fiber is completed on the Chinese side, Nepal will test the connection and subsequently work on purchasing Internet bandwidth from the northern neighbour, Adhikari said. "With Chinese companies entering the Nepali market, users here will be able to enjoy internet at lower rates," he said.Meanwhile, China's state-run Global Times today said the Chinese internet services will be available from August 1 in Nepal, "ending India's bandwidth supply monopoly in the country.

Source: Economic Times July 13, 2017 13:59 UTC