Get your facts straight!

In brief, you can use PC or devices that carry your SIP/SDP/RTP messages to Nepal and abroad. But you cant create a SIP-PSTN gateway within Nepal - which obviously would hamper NTC and similar POTS provider. Not that it hasnt been used, e.g. Govt. allows Nangi village (Nepal Wireless networks) to be connected through such a SIP-PSTN gateway in Pokhara, which im not sure if is a special provision made.


(CONDITIONS TO BE ABIDE BY THE LICENSEE TO OPERATE INTERNET TELEPHONY SERVICES)

Ref: http://nta.gov.np/miscellaneous.html
(Note to NTA if you ever listen, please go through the documents at least once when you put it public)


The Nepal Telecommunications Authority has decided to permit the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to process and carry voice signals through IP network subject to the following broad guidelines: -


1. Only ISP licensees are permitted to offer such service.


2. Scope and Definition of Internet Telephony Services:

 
2.1 Internet Telephony means an Application Service, which the customers of ISPs can avail from their Personal Computers (PC) capable of processing voice signals or other IP based Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) as mentioned below:-
     a) PC to PC (Both within as well as outside Nepal).
    
b) PC in Nepal to Telephone outside Nepal
    
c) IP based H.323/SIP Terminals in Nepal to similar Terminals both in Nepal and abroad, employing IP addressing scheme of ‘Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)’

  2.2 The addressing scheme for such a communication involving transmission of voice in packetized data format through the public Internet will conform to IP addressing scheme of Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) alone and not the E.164 numbering scheme/plan applicable to subscribers of Basic/Cellular Telephone Service.

 
2.3 Internet Telephony Service offered by ISPs is different in nature, scope and kind from the real time voice, offered as telecommunication service by operators such as Basic Service Operators, Cellular Mobile Service Operators etc, under their existing license.


3. The following are outside and do not fall under Internet Telephony service: -


 (i) Voice communication from anywhere to anywhere by means of dialing a telephone number (PSTN/ISDN/PLMN) using National Numbering Plan or E.164 Numbering Scheme;
 (ii) Originating the voice communication service from a Telephone/Mobile set (that uses E.164 Numbering Scheme) in Nepal;
 (iii) Terminating the voice communication to Telephone/Mobile (that uses E.164 Numbering Scheme) within Nepal;
 (iv) Establishing an interconnection to any Public Switched Network in Nepal;
 (v) Dial up lines with outward dialing facility from ISP nodes.

4. Quality of Service

Quality of Service (QoS) shall be as prescribed from time to time by Nepal Telecommunications Authority.

5. Security Monitoring

 5.1 Privacy of the consumers should be ensured by the ISPs.
 5.2 Suitable additional monitoring system (calling and called party identification, provision of lawful interception of calls, details of calls etc.) is to be set up by the ISPs carrying Internet telephony traffic through their Internet gateways, at their own cost and the cost of maintenance of the monitoring equipment shall be borne by the
ISPs.

6. Tariff
NTA has not levied tariff for Internet telephony offered by ISPs over public Internet; however, NTA may review and fix a tariff at any time during the validity of ISP license, which shall be binding on the licensee. ISPs are not allowed to impose any tariff to consumers for Internet telephony without approval from NTA.