14 July 2022

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has allowed the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) to get M2M (machine to machine) SIM cards, having earlier rejected the applications.

They will be used for automatic metering and weather predictions respectively.

Previously, the regulator had directed telecom operators not to issue the integrated circuits because of the incomplete numbering plan. However, it reversed the decision after assessing the application CAAN and DHM sent to Nepal Telecom.

As a result, Nepali operators can now sell M2M SIM cards.

M2Ms can work like regular SIM cards but are more reliable and durable and they can withstand adverse climatic conditions.

“We are still working on the numbering plan. We are still exploring the prospect of a new number range for (Internet of Things) IoT and M2M,” said Ambar Sthapit, director, NTA. “In such a scenario, the authority had previously asked operators to provide the M2M SIM cards in a way that they can be changed if necessary, even after the SIM card is sold. But changing the number afterward could be a hectic process. That is why the authority didn’t follow its initial plan.”