Cows Improve Cellphone Coverage in Himalayan Kingdom

B-Mobile, the sole mobile phone network in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan has ordered a mobile base station, more commonly known as a Cell On Wheels or COWS to offer temporary coverage at festivals and other areas where large crowds are likely to gather for short periods of time.

"COWS are used to provide expanded cellular network coverage or capacity at special events where a lot of people have gathered," B-Mobile general manager, Tandi Wangchuk told the local Kuensel Newspaper. "Take the coronation celebration next year in Changlimithang for example, a COW will be needed to ease the mobile network congestion,"

He also explained that the network sees seasonal based congestion, especially during the winter months when people move from the countryside to the cities. He told the newspaper that B-Mobile has also increased the capacity of network coverage in Thimphu, Paro, Phuntsholing, Samdrup Jongkhar, Mongar and Gedu.

A new entrant, Tashi Group was recently awarded a network license, although it hasn't launched its services yet.

According to figures from the Mobile World subscriber database, B-Mobile ended the first quarter of this year with some 95,000 subscribers, although B-Mobile says that has now passed the 100,000 mark. Just 4% of the population in this isolated Himalayan Kingdom own mobile phones."

Posted to the site on 19th June 2007