Nepal and India have agreed to lay down a fibre-optic cable along the east-west Mahendra Highway across the entire length of Nepal. Under the agreement, signed on 13 April, India will pay for the project, which is estimated to cost Rs 1.34 billion and will be undertaken jointly by the Nepal Telecommunication Corporation and the Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL), and is expected to be completed within two years after construction begins.