Published: 30 August 2026 (13 Bhadra 2083). All figures are from the Nepal Telecommunications Authority’s Shrawan 2083 MIS report, as reported in Nepali tech media. The “why” section is our analysis, and is labelled as such.
Quick answer: Nepal Telecom fiber internet lost 18,319 FTTH customers in a single month — from 394,552 in Asar 2083 to 376,233 in Shrawan, a 4.64% drop, per the NTA’s latest MIS report. Counting wireless and ADSL too, the state operator shed 18,772 fixed-internet customers, and its fixed-broadband market share slipped from 11.82% to 11.27%. The telling part: Nepal’s overall fiber market grew by 7,345 users that same month, while private ISPs added 25,664. Customers are not leaving fiber — they are leaving Nepal Telecom.
Key takeaways
- −18,319 FTTH users for Nepal Telecom in one month (394,552 → 376,233), a 4.64% fall.
- Total NT fixed internet (fiber + wireless + ADSL): 422,304 → 403,532.
- Fixed-broadband market share: 11.82% → 11.27%.
- Nepal’s total fiber base still grew: 3,543,125 → 3,550,470 (+7,345).
- Private ISPs jumped from 3,148,573 to 3,174,237 (+25,664) — absorbing NT’s exits and then some.
- The exodus coincides with private ISPs’ newly approved tariff structures and aggressive expansion.
The numbers, side by side
| Asar 2083 | Shrawan 2083 | One-month change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nepal Telecom FTTH | 3,94,552 | 3,76,233 | −18,319 (−4.64%) |
| NT total fixed internet (incl. wireless, ADSL) | 4,22,304 | 4,03,532 | −18,772 |
| Private ISPs’ fiber | 31,48,573 | 31,74,237 | +25,664 |
| All-Nepal fiber | 35,43,125 | 35,50,470 | +7,345 |
Read the last two rows together and the story writes itself. If the whole market had shrunk, this would be an economy story. It grew — so this is a switching story. Roughly speaking, for every customer the market gained, three walked out of Nepal Telecom’s door and into a private ISP’s.
Why are they leaving? (Our analysis)
The NTA report gives the what, not the why. TechPana’s own headline literally asks “के होला कारण?”. Based on how this market has moved over the past year, four forces stand out:
1. Private ISPs just repriced. Regulator-approved tariff structures for WorldLink, Vianet and Subisu — spanning roughly Rs 751 to Rs 2,700 a month across speed tiers — landed this same period, giving the private players fresh, loudly-marketed packages while Nepal Telecom’s fiber pricing stayed comparatively static.
2. Bundles win households. The private ISPs sell internet + IPTV + router as one visit and one bill. NT’s fiber, for many households, is internet alone — and the second set-top box is usually the deciding vote in a Nepali living room.
3. Service response is the silent churner. Fiber customers rarely leave over speed on a good day; they leave over how long a dead line stays dead. Private ISPs compete visibly on support turnaround; the state operator’s service culture is its best-known weakness.
4. Legacy technology is retiring. Part of NT’s broader fixed-line drop is old ADSL and wireless connections expiring — customers who, at upgrade time, shop the whole market rather than defaulting to the operator they had.
None of this is in the NTA report — it is our reading of the competitive landscape, and Nepal Telecom has not publicly explained the fall.
Why this matters beyond one bad month
Nepal Telecom remains a giant in mobile, but fixed broadband is where households form decade-long habits. An 11.27% share — barely one home in nine — for the state operator in a market of 3.55 million fiber homes means the private sector now effectively is Nepal’s home internet. That concentration cuts both ways: fierce competition today, but pricing power tomorrow if the exodus leaves no meaningful third force.
For NT, a 4.64% monthly bleed is not a dip; annualised, it is an existential slope. The fix is not mysterious — competitive bundles, honest tariffs and a service desk that answers — but each requires the state operator to move at private-sector speed.
Choosing between them yourself? Our NTC vs Ncell comparison covers the mobile side, and the telecom FAQ answers the questions that decide most switches.
Frequently asked questions
How many customers did Nepal Telecom lose?
18,319 FTTH (fiber) customers in one month — Asar to Shrawan 2083 — and 18,772 fixed-internet customers overall including wireless and ADSL, per the NTA’s MIS report.
Is Nepal’s internet market shrinking?
No. Total fiber connections grew by 7,345 in the same month, to 3,550,470. The decline is specific to Nepal Telecom; private ISPs added 25,664 fiber customers.
What is Nepal Telecom’s market share now?
11.27% of fixed broadband, down from 11.82% a month earlier.
Why are customers leaving Nepal Telecom’s fiber?
The regulator’s report does not say. Our analysis points to freshly repriced private-ISP packages, TV-plus-internet bundling, faster service response from private players, and legacy ADSL/wireless connections expiring — but Nepal Telecom has not publicly explained the drop.
Where does this data come from?
The Nepal Telecommunications Authority’s Shrawan 2083 MIS report — the regulator’s monthly subscriber statistics.
The bottom line
One month, one clean verdict from the regulator’s own numbers: Nepal Telecom fiber internet shed 18,319 homes while the market around it grew. The customers did not give up on fiber — they gave up on the operator. Until NT answers with bundles, pricing and service that match the private sector, expect next month’s MIS report to rhyme with this one. We will check it when it lands.
Digital Solution disclaimer: Digital Solution Pvt. Ltd. is an independent publisher, unaffiliated with Nepal Telecom, any ISP or the NTA. Subscriber figures are from the NTA’s Shrawan 2083 MIS report as publicly reported; the causal analysis is our own and so labelled. Verify current tariffs with providers directly.
Rabin Paudel
Rabin Paudel is the Founder of Digital Solution, a Content Creator, and an AI Trainer. He shares practical and easy-to-understand content on Artificial Intelligence, Digital Literacy, Online Services, FinTech, and Technology. His mission is to make technology simple, accessible, and useful for everyone.
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