April 2: International airline companies can now onwards use internet and telecommunications service in the Nepali sky.    
The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) in coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has granted permission for the use of internet and telecommunications service above 10,000 feet for international airline companies in the Nepali sky.    
A meeting of the board of directors of the Telecommunications Authority on March 22 took a decision in this regard.    
With this, Nepal has become the third country to grant such service to international airline companies in South Asia after India and Afghanistan.    
Those airlines having got permission from the International Civil Aviation Organisation would be granted permission to avail internet and telecommunications service above 10,000 feet in the Nepali sky, said NTA’s spokesperson Santosh Poudel.    
Granting permission to use internet service below 10,000 feet could result in disturbance in the service on the ground across the country, he said.    
To use the service, those willing to avail it should apply to the NTA. At present, three international airline companies have applied to the NTA for the service.    
The NTA granted the service to the three international airlines companies after holding talks with the CAAN and bodies under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, added Poudel. – RSS