NTA to prepare guideline for analysis and design of telecom towers

KATHMANDU, Oct 6:

Nepal´s telecom operators have been continuously setting up mobile towers in order to expand their service to various parts of the country as well as to increase the quality of their service.

However, Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), the telecom sector regulatory body, has just geared up to prepare a guideline analysis and design of such base transceiver stations (BTS).

CADS Consultancy and Hydro Research, which was hired by NTA, to carry out a study on the on the assessment of safety of BTS has recently submitted its draft report.
The report is titled ´Development of Guideline for Analysis and Design of Telecommunication Tower, Earthquake/ Disaster Risk Assessment of BTS Towers and Vulnerability Assessment and Re-strengthening/ Retrofit for Vulnerable Tower´.

NTA Director Ananda Raj Khanal said, "The consultant has prepared the detail draft report on various issues regarding safety. Once the NTA board allots the budget we will carry out a consultation workshop with various stakeholders, and will incorporate the feed back to finalize the guidelines."

The draft report recommends guidelines for: analysis and design of telecommunication tower, earthquake risk assessment of existing BTS Tower, vulnerability assessment and re- strengthening/ retrofitting of vulnerable towers and organizing national workshop on analysis and design, risk assessment and retrofitting of BTS tower.
Once the guidelines are finalized, NTA will then forward the same to the government for implementation.

"We cannot specify a date for the implementation of the guidelines, but we will soon finalize the guideline and submit it to the government," said Khanal.
A report published by the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) in December on assessment conducted on ´Earthquake Vulnerability of Mobile Towers and Associated Structures´ had stated that most of the towers in Nepal are not safe.

As per the report, out of 13 mobile towers set up on buildings in Nepal, nine were found to be vulnerable to earthquake as the building themselves were highly prone to the natural disaster.

"At a time when the trend of erecting BTS towers on rooftops is increasing, the guidelines will be beneficial to the telecom operators as well for the regulators," said Khanal.
Earlier in 2010, NTA has prepared a consultation paper on ´NTA Guidelines on Erection of Antenna Structures and Protection from Non - Ionizing Radiation from Radio Base Stations´.

In December, an UNDP report on ´Earthquake Risk Reduction and Recovery Preparedness Program (ERRRPP)´ had urged NTA to include ´Seismic Vulnerability Evaluation Guidelines for Private and Public Buildings´ in the proposed guideline.
However, according to Khnaal, the guideline is yet not finalized.

Source: Republica