Kathmandu, April 1: Now international airlines companies can use internet and telecommunications service in the Nepali sky.

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), an autonomous telecommunications regulatory body, in coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), a civil aviation regulator, has granted permission for the use of internet and telecommunications service above 10,000 feet for international airlines companies in the Nepali sky.

A meeting of the Telecommunications Authority Board of Directors on 22 March took a decision in this regard.

With this, Nepal is the third country to grant the service to international airlines companies in South Asia behind India and Afghanistan.

Those airlines having got permission from the International Civil Aviation Organisation would be granted permission to avail internet and telecommunications service above 10,000 feet in the Nepali sky, said the NTA’s spokesperson Santosh Poudel.

Granting permission to use internet service below 10,000 feet could result in a disturbance in the service on the ground across the country, he said.

To use the service, those willing to avail it should apply to the NTA. At present, three international airlines companies have applied to the NTA for the service.

The NTA granted the service to the three international airlines companies after holding talks with the CAAN and bodies under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, he said.