KATHMANDU: The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has cancelled the process of placing own satellite in orbit.

The NTA, through a notice Friday, said the previous proposal has been cancelled so as to initiate a new process. It said the process has been terminated as none of the companies selected for launching the satellite in orbit responded to the call for doing so. As such, the NTA has decided to cancel all the proposals and the purchase process in accordance with the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

The Authority had called for new proposal for formulating the policy on the regulation and safety, trade and operation modality for installation of the satellite, cancelling the previous proposal last November. In response to the NTA’s call for proposal, nine companies from various countries had submitted their Letter of Intent (LoL) to NTA last December. Out of the nine companies submitting LoI, the NTA last April called for financial proposals from five qualified companies. Only four out of the five companies had submitted the financial proposal to the NTA.

The Authority had called for financial proposals from the four companies but none responded within the deadline leading to the cancellation of the process.

NTA joint-spokesperson Achyutananda Mishra said now the new process would be started for placing Nepal’s own satellite in orbit in line with the government’s policy of placing satellite in orbit by 2022. RSS