Demand for Strict Cybersecurity Act

The Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTAA) has demanded that the Cyber ​​Security Act should be enacted and implemented effectively to curb the rising criminal activity. NEA has demanded to bring cyber security as soon as possible saying that with the rapid development of information and communication technology, the risk in cyber security is increasing day by day and illegal and criminal activities through social media are increasing.

NEA Chairman Purushottam Khanal pointed out the need for the government to bring cyber security in the process of building a digital economy by transforming the state into digital Nepal. The NEA has taken it as a problem and challenge to get the revenue that the state has to get from cheap unauthorized access to the Nepalese market like Viber, Skype, Facebook, YouTube, and Ticket and to face the security challenges created by it and not bring it under the scope of regulation.

Chairman Khanal said, “It is a problem and a challenge that there is no legal provision to regulate the content regulation as the expressions used on telecommunication networks or social networks are seen to disrupt national integrity, personal insults and create chaos in the society.”

NEA has also pointed out the need to form an integrated regulatory body to make the regulation of the region strong, empowered and self-reliant due to the multi-faceted opportunities and challenges in the region due to the rapid development in information and communication technology.

Following the development of telecommunication technology at the international level by making new laws and regulations as per the need, the NEA is of the view that the development of the region should be expanded by making it accessible and quality across the state so that the general consumers can consume the service competitively.

According to NEA, 27.7 million people are currently using high-speed internet broadband. Out of that, there are 198.53 million mobile broadband users. Accordingly, the density of telephone service has reached 13.75 percent and the density of broadband service has reached 91.55 percent so far. NEA’s Rural Telecommunication Development Fund Operation (Broadband Connectivity) has so far provided internet connection in 679 local levels, 5,554 ward offices, 5,032 schools and 4,027 health posts in 393 places.