KATHMANDU, Aug 11: Nepal is preparing to launch 5G mobile broadband services in major urban areas this year, with a long-term target of expanding the technology across the country by 2035.
The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has made public a draft of its “Mobile Broadband Improvement Plan (Nepal’s Road to 5G)”, outlining the roadmap for transforming Nepal’s telecommunications sector toward high-speed mobile broadband.
According to the proposed plan, the government aims to increase average mobile broadband speeds nationwide to at least 20 Mbps by 2027, provide speeds of up to 100 Mbps in urban areas by 2030 and extend 5G access across the country by 2035.
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The NTA has sought feedback, suggestions and recommendations from stakeholders on the draft within 15 days. It has also directed mobile service providers to prepare and submit phased plans for launching 5G services, beginning with major urban centres.
The authority is preparing to allocate and distribute the frequency spectrum required for 5G. NTA Director Min Prasad Aryal said the regulator is ready to manage the required spectrum, while service providers must demonstrate adequate technical and commercial preparedness.
Mobile data consumption in Nepal has been increasing by around 30 to 40 percent annually in recent years. The NTA has said the growing demand will require additional spectrum, higher-capacity backhaul networks, small-cell infrastructure and modern mobile technologies.
The draft also proposes gradually phasing out 3G services from 2027, as less than three percent of mobile data users currently rely on the technology. Resources used for 3G would instead be redirected toward expanding and improving 4G and 5G networks.
Nepal began testing 5G technology in 2023, when Nepal Telecom was allocated 60 MHz of spectrum in the 2,600 MHz band. Tests conducted in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Birgunj achieved data speeds of up to 1 Gbps.
The proposed roadmap also emphasises expanding fibre and backhaul infrastructure, particularly in areas where network capacity is under pressure. Small-cell networks are proposed for densely populated urban areas, while fixed wireless access could be used to expand broadband in remote and semi-urban areas where fibre deployment is difficult or costly.
The NTA has said the transition to 5G will require simultaneous improvements in spectrum management, 4G coverage, fibre and backhaul infrastructure, and consumer migration to newer technologies.
