Nepal 5G Roadmap: NTA Draft Plan & 3G Phase Out

Nepal's Road to 5G: NTA Draft Mobile Broadband Enhancement Plan and 3G Sunset

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has released the draft Mobile Broadband Enhancement Plan Nepal's Road to 5G for public consultation. The document sets out how the country intends to move from its current 2G/3G/4G environment toward 5G, and it pairs that long term vision with two near term actions of direct interest to device importers and certification teams: an immediate stop on importing 3G only handsets and user equipment, and an instruction to operators to phase out 3G services.

Crucially, this is a strategy and roadmap document, not a type approval instrument. It does not, by itself, rewrite Nepal's equipment authorization procedures or create new certification categories for 4G/5G devices. The one element with a concrete device market access dimension is the proposed restriction on 3G only equipment imports. This article separates what the plan actually mandates from what it merely signals, and flags where the draft's own dates are internally inconsistent.

What the Nepal 5G Roadmap Changes for Device Compliance

For a device certification and market access audience, the plan matters in three ways, in descending order of immediacy.

First, 3G-only handsets and user equipment (UEs). The plan's "3G Sunset" section states that the import of only 3G handsets and UEs "will be discontinued immediately," and that service providers "shall phase out 3G services by 2026," supported by migration campaigns and promotional packages. For importers, this is the operative line: devices that support only 3G (with no 4G/LTE fallback capability) would fall outside what can be brought into Nepal once the measure takes effect. Multi mode devices that include 4G the overwhelming majority of current shipments are not the target of this restriction.

Second, spectrum and band support. The plan earmarks several bands for auction and 5G deployment. Devices intended for the Nepali market over the coming years should anticipate demand for support across these bands rather than any change to how devices are certified today.

Third, regulatory posture. The NTA reaffirms a technology neutral stance under Nepal's Radio Frequency (Allocation and Pricing) Policy for Telecommunication Services, 2023, letting operators deploy any generation of technology within their assigned bands. No new device-authorization obligation flows from this posture; existing NTA type-approval processes continue to govern equipment entering the market.

The Vision and Its Targets

The NTA frames the plan around measurable service-experience goals:

• An average user experience of at least 20 Mbps by 2028, delivered via LTE-Advanced / 5G and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).

• At least 100 Mbps average experience in all metropolitan and sub metropolitan cities by 2030, with 5G coverage in those areas.

• Longer term (the plan's "5+ years" horizon): nationwide rollout, rural inclusion, and early 6G preparation.

  
  

The plan justifies this on demand: cellular data traffic in Nepal has been growing roughly 30–40% per year, with continued exponential growth expected, and around 35% of cells are already at maximum Physical Resource Block (PRB) utilisation. A 2023 trial by Nepal Telecom using 60 MHz in the 2600 MHz band reached peak throughput of about 1 Gbps in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Birgunj.

Spectrum Strategy

The plan proposes auctioning the following bands for mobile broadband enhancement and 5G, on transparent and fair mechanisms, alongside spectrum refarming and harmonisation:

Band	Intended role
700 MHz	Coverage in rural and underserved areas
2300 MHz & 2600 MHz	4G expansion, then upgrade to 5G
3500 MHz	Balanced coverage and capacity the mid-band 5G workhorse
26 GHz (24.25–27.50 GHz)	Ultra-dense capacity: smart cities, industrial zones, enterprise campuses

Supporting measures include mandating carrier aggregation, a proposed shift from band-wise to group wise spectrum capping (to be recommended to the Radio Frequency Policy Determination Committee), and making Fixed Service (FS) and Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) bands available for 5G backhaul and enterprise use. The NTA also notes prior groundwork: CDMA services were shut down in FY 2079/80 (2022/23), releasing the 850 MHz band for refarming, and unused spectrum is being identified for revocation.

Network, Architecture and Security Measures

Beyond spectrum, the plan sets out the enabling actions Nepal considers necessary for a credible 5G transition:

• Small cells and FWA as primary tools for dense urban capacity and last mile rural broadband, with infrastructure and street furniture sharing encouraged.

• Backhaul modernisation prioritised fibre expansion plus high capacity microwave (E-band) where fibre is impractical, with simplified right of way procedures.

• Architecture flexibility operators may choose Non Standalone (NSA) or Standalone (SA) 5G based on their market assessment, with SA encouraged for verticals such as smart cities, healthcare and Industry 4.0.

• Operator model a hybrid approach: shared/centralised core infrastructure (backhaul, fibre) under open access principles, with competitive retail 5G and RAN, and RAN sharing or local roaming in remote areas.

• Data privacy and cybersecurity privacy by design, zero trust architectures for 5G cores, and regular security audits enforced through licensing.

  
  

Governance sits with a Steering Committee (coordinated by the NTA's Technology and Infrastructure Directorate, with CTOs of the two major mobile service providers as members) meeting on the first Wednesday of each month. Nepal's two operators are the state owned Nepal Telecom and the privately owned Ncell.

What This Means for Manufacturers

• The plan is not, in itself, a new certification requirement. If your device is a standard multi-band 4G/5G product, the Nepal 5G roadmap does not add a type-approval step or change how you obtain NTA equipment authorisation. Treat it as strategic signalling about where the market is heading, not as a compliance trigger.

• 3G-only products are the exception that does matter. Manufacturers and importers still shipping single mode 3G handsets or 3G only UEs into Nepal should treat those SKUs as at risk of losing market access. Confirm whether affected products have a 4G capable variant and plan portfolio substitution accordingly.

• Band support is a commercial, not regulatory, planning input for now. With 700 MHz, 2300/2600 MHz, 3500 MHz and 26 GHz all earmarked for 5G, devices targeting Nepal over the 2027–2030 window should support the mid band (3.5 GHz) core at minimum. This affects product roadmaps and SKU selection more than certification paperwork.

• Watch the draft to final transition. Because this is a consultation draft, timelines and specific obligations (especially the aggressive "3G by 2026" line) may shift before adoption. Do not restructure a compliance programme around dates that the final instrument may revise.

• No presumption of conformity changes. Nothing in the plan alters the standards or test evidence NTA accepts for type approval; existing testing and documentation pathways remain in force.

  
  

Certification Impact Summary

Element of the plan	Instrument type	Direct certification / import impact	Status
3G-only handset & UE import stop	Proposed market access action	High 3G only SKUs would lose import eligibility	Draft; "immediately" on adoption
3G service phase-out	Operator directive	Indirect accelerates obsolescence of 3G only devices in market	Draft; targeted "by 2026"
Spectrum bands for auction (700 MHz, 2300/2600 MHz, 3500 MHz, 26 GHz)	Allocation / auction plan	None to type approval; informs device band support roadmaps	Proposed
Technology neutral licensing posture	Policy reaffirmation	None no new device obligation	Existing policy
Carrier aggregation mandate; group wise capping	Operator/spectrum measure	None to device certification	Proposed
Cybersecurity / privacy by design framework	Network security framework	None to device type approval (operator facing)	Proposed

Bottom line for certification teams: one genuinely device affecting item (3G only import discontinuation); everything else is network, spectrum and policy strategy that does not change equipment authorisation requirements.

Timeline and Required Actions

Date / horizon	Milestone (per draft)	Suggested action for manufacturers & importers
Now (consultation open)	Draft plan published for public comment	Review the draft; submit comments if the 3G import wording or timing affects your portfolio
On adoption ("immediately")	Import of 3G-only handsets/UEs discontinued	Audit catalogue for 3G only SKUs; identify 4G capable replacements before adoption
"By 2026" (as drafted)	Operators phase out 3G services	Communicate device migration implications to Nepali distributors/customers
2026–2027 (short term)	5G pilots, spectrum refarming, regulatory review	Track any NTA type approval or QoS updates that emerge from the review
By 2028	≥20 Mbps average user experience (LTE-A/5G/FWA)	Ensure mid band (3.5 GHz) support in Nepal bound roadmaps
By 2030	≥100 Mbps in metro/sub metro; 5G coverage there	Align premium SKUs with metro 5G band plan
5+ years / long-term	Nationwide rollout; 6G preparation	Long range portfolio planning

MBB-Enhancement-Plan(Road-to-5G).pdf

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