Nepal Telecom has initiated a series of service reforms following directives from Minister for Communication and Information Technology Dr. Bikram Timilsina, addressing long-standing user complaints around data billing, customer service, and digital access under a results-based governance framework.
Among the most significant changes is the elimination of automatic balance deductions from the main account when a data package is exhausted — a practice that had generated widespread complaints. Under the new system, customers will receive a notification at 90% data usage and will be able to choose between purchasing a new package or continuing on a Pay-As-You-Go basis. The feature is currently in testing and expected to roll out within days.
Other reforms include a one-time KYC system to end repeated document submissions, the online enablement of e-SIM distribution, lost SIM recovery, and SIM ownership transfers, and the introduction of single-window service desks at all NTC offices. The ministry has also committed to policy reforms within 30 days to free up additional spectrum and improve 4G quality, which has drawn widespread criticism across the country.
Editor’s Note: The NTC reform package is notable for being ministerially driven rather than commercially initiated — suggesting external pressure on Nepal’s dominant state-owned operator to modernise consumer practices that most regional telcos abandoned years ago. The one-time KYC and e-SIM provisions carry the most structural weight; MEA Tech Watch will be watching whether the 30-day spectrum policy timeline translates into meaningful 4G quality improvements ahead of Nepal’s eventual 5G planning.
