July 09, Kathmandu.
For the past year and a half, most businesses around the world have been battling the Covid-19 epidemic. However, in the midst of this epidemic, the Internet business in Nepal boomed. Between 2077 BS and 2078 BS, 5.8 million internet subscribers have been added in just one year.
There are 40 cable and fiber internet service providers in the market. Most of the wireless and wireless fixed-line service companies have expanded the number of customers during the lockdown period.
The number of internet users has increased by more than 57.98 million in a year. The number of internet users has reached 27.3 million by 2078 BS from 21.5 million by 2077 BS.
According to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, 90.56 percent of the country's population has access to the Internet so far. However, this figure may be lower because some people are using the Internet twice. According to a recent MIS report released by NEA, the number of Internet fixed broadband and mobile broadband users seems to be increasing at a high rate.
So far, 65.47 percent of the population has access to mobile internet. It has the most 3G service users. 11.9 million have availed of 3G services. 94.94 million people are using Nepal Telecom's services in 3G while 2.462 million users are registered from Ncell.
Similarly, Forge has 76.97 million users. Ncell alone has about 4.8 million users. Nepal Telecom, which started its own service for the first time, has only 2.686 million Forge users. Smart Telecom also has 260,000 Forge users. There are 136,000 e-video users on mobile broadband.
The number of fixed broadband internet users in the country is around 7.375 million. Till last year, the number of such users was 5.181 million. According to the Telecommunications Authority, such an Internet connection has an average of five users.
The number of fixed broadband users has increased by more than 2.194 million compared to last year. The number of such users is 24.40 percent of the total population. Until last year, that number was only 17 percent.
Internet service providers (ISPs) are currently at the forefront of fixed broadband. ISPs have created 6.57 million users. The number of Nepal Telecom's ADSL service users is 800,000.
Similarly, there are 208,000 wireless fixed internet users. The number of WiFi (radio) users is 118,000 and 90,000 use WiMAX.
Why so many?
The number of mobile internet connections is also increasing at a high rate. During this period, the number of people leaving 3G internet and going to Forge seems to be large. Poor quality service providers and technology were abandoned by many customers during the epidemic. This is confirmed by the fact that Nepal Telecom has left ADSL and attracted more customers to the fiber internet.
The Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) says the number of Internet users has skyrocketed since the crash of 'Spain'. According to the Nepal Telecommunication Authority, the number of people choosing mobile broadband internet technology has increased last year.
During the epidemic, fiber internet has attracted customers at the same rate as mobile users. Former Spanish president Vinay Bohora called it a pandemic.
He says that internet customers have been added as 'work from home' flourishes in the epidemic. "I had to connect to the internet when I had to do office work from home," he says. "Those who work with mobile data need fixed-line internet."
According to Bohora, this is not the only reason for the increase in FTTH internet subscribers. He is of the opinion that the fixed line is many times cheaper than the data of the mobile, so the customers have been added to it.
He says that those who work from home in the epidemic have connected fiber optic internet because the data is faster and better.
"Children's online classes started running from home. Those who go to the office have to watch video content on sites like YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook to spend time at home," he said. "It has become difficult to stay at home without internet."
According to Bohora, housewives or neighbors who work from the internet also added internet service during this period.
The government is providing internet service to villages through 18 projects funded by the Rural Telecommunication Fund. NEA claims that the number of subscribers has also increased due to the laying of optical fiber on the Mid-Hill Highway.
Last year, the government has provided internet service in village health posts, schools, and other places. The expansion and use of internet service have increased as Nepal Telecom and Ncell's Forge competition has reached the villages. Naturally expanding internet service is gathering customers.
