Vision of 'Digital Nepal' gaining momentum

The information and communication technology (ICT) sector in the country has made remarkable strides since the incumbent government was formed on July 13, 2021.

In this period, the current coalition government achieved significant success in the field of ICT towards realizing the vision of 'Digital Nepal'.

All the services being rendered by the Department of Information and Broadcasting have gone digital since July 3 this year. Online service systems such as Broadcasting and Radio License Management System (BRLMS), Documents Management System (DMS), and CAS/SMS online system. The Information Management System was already put in place last year.

Issuing press pass, identity card and renewable, online media registration and renewable, management of newspapers archive and public information management and distribution-related works have been provided digitally, according to the Department's director general Gogan Bahadur Hamal.

As the current fiscal year 2021/22 recently concluded, 2,092 press passes have been distributed while 2,557 were renewed within the fiscal year 2021/22.

Similarly, 662 new online portals were registered with the Department and 677 others were renewed during this period, informed director-general Hamal.

Dr. Baikuntha Aryal, Secretary at the Ministry of Communications, Information and Technology, shared that around 90 percent of the Ministry's services are being provided digitally at present towards achieving the vision of 'Digital Nepal'

The country that embarked on its first digital journey computing the census in 1971 using modern devices such as computers currently enjoys cent percent mobile phone penetration and 60 percent access to the internet.

Internet subscriber density has reached 116.91 percent. Mobile phones' penetration is recorded at cent percent in the country while internet access stands at 60 percent.

At the moment, 41,454,748 mobile phones are in use in the country. The basic fixed telephone's usage has been on the wane with the growing use of mobile phones. The density of telephone was recorded at 139.86 percent and internet consumers' density was at 116.91 as of mid-March, 2022.

This speaks volumes for the notable milestone achieved for the vision of digitalization envisaged by various erstwhile governments over the period as well as the incumbent one.