Nepal drafts Integrated Telecom Policy to expand broadband coverage

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has drafted the Integrated Telecom Policy 2083 to drive the country’s digital transformation. A central feature of the reform is the replacement of heavy lump-sum license renewal fees with a revenue-based percentage model to alleviate financial pressure on service providers.

The policy sets ambitious connectivity targets, aiming to provide broadband services with minimum speeds of 50 Mbps to 80% of the population within five years and 98% within ten years. To achieve this, the government plans to utilize the Rural Telecommunications Development Fund and construct a nationwide ‘information highway’ to improve access in remote and high-altitude areas.

Additional consumer-focused reforms include the introduction of Mobile Number Portability (MNP), allowing users to switch providers without changing numbers. The draft also prioritizes digital inclusion through discounted packages for marginalized groups and mandates infrastructure sharing and optical fiber ducting along highways to enhance network reliability.