KATHMANDU: Nepal Telecom (NT) says it will provide SIM cards free of cost to the Nepali citizens returning home from abroad in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

The NT will distribute SIM cards to them by establishing its booth at 20 various transit points for those returning home from India.

Likewise, the NT will distribute SIM cards at the quarantine venue and holding centers that the government will set up for accommodating foreign-returnees coming by air route, Nepal Telecom said.

Spokesman at the NT, Rajesh Joshi said the state-owned telecom company has managed 100 thousand such SIM cards for now.

However, the foreign-returnee will have to produce a copy of citizenship certificate, passport, driving license, travel document or any other identity document for obtaining the SIM card.

According to Joshi, the free SIM cards can also be provided to the foreign-returnee Nepalis on the basis of their relatives’ identification documents in case they are unable to produce their own documents.

Likewise, NT will also provide free Wi-Fi service at eight holding centers the government has set up in the Kathmandu Valley for accommodating the foreign-returnee Nepalis entering via the Tribhuvan International Airport.