Nepal Telecom (NT) is launching Third Generation (3G) mobile services from Thursday (May 17).

The service is being launched on the occasion of International Telecom Day. NT officials claim that Nepal is going to be the first country in South Asia where 3G mobile services will be launched.

According to NT director Buddhi Acharya, the SIM card for 3G service will cost Rs 4195 and its charges will be similar to that of prepaid mobiles.

The NT has fixed Rs 10/min for video conferencing facilities. It has fixed 2 paisa per byte rate for video streaming – which is roughly equal with Rs 3 per minute.

For the time being, the 3G services will be made available to area within ring road.