According to the report, 99 percent of the population has access to 3G services and 88 percent to 4G mobile network across the country. However, it has been pointed out that Nepal is lagging behind in new technology as 5G mobile network is not available.
What you should know
In the report published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) under the United Nations, it is mentioned that Nepal has achieved progress in the field of digital communication. In the report titled 'Digital Development Measurement: Facts and Figures Focused on Landlocked Developing Countries', it is mentioned that the level of digital connectivity of 11 countries in 'Group 2', including Nepal, matches the average level of the world.
Among the landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), Nepal has secured its place in an advanced group. Within 'Group 2' in the report are Armenia, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Eswatini, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Lesotho, Paraguay and Turkmenistan. Nepal, Bhutan and Lao PDR are also classified as least developed countries (LDCs).
Looking at the state of digital access and usage in Nepal, only 55.8 percent of the population used the Internet in 2023. This is below the world average of 67.6 percent. But as the overall LLDC average is much higher than 39.4 percent, Nepal looks ahead of many countries in this group.
The report mentions that Nepal has made good progress in the field of mobile broadband. In 2023, 94.5 percent have taken mobile broadband service. This is also higher than the world average of 94.6 and the overall LLDC average of 59.3. Mobile cellular network coverage was up to 98.3 percent of Nepal's population in 2023.
According to the report, 99 percent of the population has access to 3G service and 88 percent to 4G mobile network across the country. However, it has been pointed out that Nepal is lagging behind in new technology as 5G mobile network is not available. In terms of affordability of services, the value of mobile data in Nepal in 2024 is seen to be 2 percent of Gross National Income (GNI) per capita. This is exactly in line with the target of 2 percent or less set by the United Nations Broadband Commission.
The cost of fixed broadband was 7.2 percent of gross national income per capita in 2024. This is well above the Broadband Commission's target of 2 per cent. This indicates that fixed broadband is still expensive and needs further improvement.
Another landlocked country in South Asia, Bhutan is also in 'Group 2' like Nepal, but it still seems to have made good progress in connectivity. In 2023, Internet users in Bhutan were 88.4 percent. Mobile broadband users were 96.8 percent and 4G network coverage was 97 percent. 40 percent of the population used the 5G mobile network. In Bhutan, the cost of mobile broadband was 0.7 percent of gross national income per capita and the cost of fixed broadband was 2.2 percent. It is much less than Nepal and is within the global target.
Likewise, compared to LLDCs in 'group 3' like Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Nepal's situation looks good. The value of mobile broadband in Afghanistan in 2024 was 8.4 percent of gross national income per capita. It is more expensive than Nepal. In 2023, Internet users in Tajikistan were 56.8 percent, mobile broadband users 40.8 and fixed broadband subscriptions only 1 percent.
Although Nepal has made good improvements in digital connectivity, the report points out some challenges. "The lack of reliable data on Internet traffic and international bandwidth has become an obstacle in policy making for Nepal," the report says, "the lack of such data hinders making evidence-based policies and targeting digital transformation efforts." It is also suggested that a lot of work should be done to improve access to fixed broadband, 5G network and digital data management.
