March 11, 2019 – The Nepal Telecommunications Authority and Thales Alenia Space signed an agreement under which Thales Alenia Space will build the national satellite telecommunication system for Nepal. This agreement is following the Letter of Intent previously signed on March 5 in Paris. This very high-performance C/Ku Band satellite, yet to be named by Nepal, is to be launched by 2022 and to be positioned at the 123.3° E orbital slot reserved for Nepal by ITU. It will be based on the SpaceBus National Satellite System solution developed by Thales Alenia Space. The main mission is to make high-speed internet available throughout Nepal, spearheading services such as telemedicine, e-learning, e-government, disaster management, information technologies, agriculture, tourism, hydropower and other value-added services, along with the provisions of Direct-to-Home television and mobile phone backhauling. The ubiquitous and versatile communication services provided by the satellite are primarily targeted at reducing the digital divide, especially in the underserved rural areas.