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Telecommunication definition and Nepal's history since 1913
Short answer
ITU defines telecommunication as transmission of signs, signals, images, or sounds by wire, radio, optical or electromagnetic systems. Nepal's history: first telephone line in 1913, manual exchange in 1935, automatic exchange in 1962, NTC in 1975, satellite earth station in 1982, GSM in 1999, and 3G/4G later.
What is Telecommunication according to CCITU, Geneva 1992? Experts say that Telecommunication is not a sporadic creation. It has come through an evolutionary process. Explain the historical background of telecommunication in Nepal since 1913 A.D.
Definition (ITU, Geneva 1992)
According to the Constitution of the International Telecommunication Union (Geneva, 1992), telecommunication is any transmission, emission or reception of signs, signals, writings, images and sounds or intelligence of any nature by wire, radio, optical or other electromagnetic systems.
Telecommunication as an evolutionary process
Telecom did not appear suddenly; each technology was built on the earlier one: telegraph (1837) → telephone (1876) → manual exchange (1878) → Strowger automatic exchange (1892) → wireless/radio (Marconi, 1895–1901) → crossbar → electronic SPC (1965) → digital switching and PCM → satellites, optical fibre → mobile, Internet and IP networks. Nepal also followed this path, step by step.
Historical background in Nepal since 1913 AD
| Year (AD) | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1913 | First telephone line in Nepal, in Kathmandu (Rana rulers' palaces/offices); telephone era begins |
| 1935 | Manual (magneto) telephone exchange of about 100 lines in Kathmandu |
| 1950–55 | HF radio links to other countries and districts; telephone opened to the public (about 1955) |
| 1962 | First automatic telephone exchange (about 1,000 lines) in Kathmandu |
| 1964–71 | International telex and radio links; Telecommunication Development Board formed |
| 1975 | Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) established |
| 1982 | Satellite earth station at Sanga (Kathmandu) for international calls (INTELSAT) |
| 1980s–90s | Digital SPC exchanges, east–west microwave backbone |
| 1995–96 | Internet services start (private ISPs) |
| 1997 | Telecommunication Act 2053 (BS) comes into force |
| 1998 | Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) formed as regulator |
| 1999 | GSM mobile service by NTC |
| 2004 | NTC becomes Nepal Doorsanchar Company Ltd (Nepal Telecom) |
| 2005 | Private GSM operator Spice Nepal/Mero Mobile (later Ncell) |
| 2007–2010s | 3G (Nepal Telecom, 2007), optical fibre backbone, 4G LTE (2017), FTTH broadband |
Key phases
- Early phase (1913–1955): telephones only for the Rana government and palace; manual magneto exchanges; HF radio for long distance.
- Public service (1955–1975): automatic exchange in Kathmandu (1962), telex and trunk links; telecom handled by a government department/board.
- Corporation phase (1975–2004): NTC built the microwave backbone, satellite earth station and digital exchanges, and started GSM (1999).
- Liberalisation (1997 onward): the Telecommunication Act 2053 and NTA opened the sector to private operators (Ncell, UTL, ISPs), and Nepal Telecom became a public company (2004).
- Broadband era (2007–now): 3G/4G, fibre backbone, FTTH and widespread mobile Internet.
(Dates of early events are as commonly given in Nepal Telecom's history; small differences exist between sources.)
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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