Nepal Telecom Says 5G Testing Completed, Commercial Rollout Awaiting Compatible Devices

 

Kathmandu. Nepal Telecom has stated that it has completed internal testing of 5G technology, but commercial rollout has been delayed mainly due to a lack of 5G-compatible mobile devices in the market, according to Deputy Manager Rajendra Dulal.

Speaking at an event in the capital on Thursday, Dulal said the company had planned 5G trials at four to five locations in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Birgunj around three to four years ago to assess commercial feasibility. However, he said the trials were limited to internal use due to the absence of compatible handsets at the time.

Nepal Telecom, after completing internal testing, has now installed 5G equipment in Babermahal and Sundhara in Kathmandu, as well as in Pokhara and Birgunj. The company has also sought permission from the Nepal Telecommunications Authority to expand installations to the remaining provinces. According to the Auditor General’s 62nd annual report, the company spent Rs 18.438 million on testing.

Despite the completion of tests two years ago, commercial implementation has not yet progressed significantly. However, the company is preparing to launch 5G services in major cities such as Kathmandu and Pokhara from the next fiscal year.

Dulal said more than 20 percent of customers currently have 5G-compatible devices, and the initial focus will be on providing high-speed data services rather than nationwide IoT deployment. He added that 5G requires significantly higher bandwidth and infrastructure investment, making nationwide rollout difficult in the early phase.

He further noted that the lack of suitable spectrum remains a key challenge, as existing allocations are insufficient for full-scale 5G deployment. The government has allocated frequencies in the 700 MHz and 3500 MHz bands for commercial 5G, but the Nepal Telecommunications Authority has yet to proceed with an auction process.

Dulal said Nepal Telecom will move quickly toward commercial 5G services in major cities once additional spectrum is made available, adding that adoption of 5G is inevitable given global technological trends.

पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: असार ४, २०८३ १५:५२

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