Nepal's telecom regulator readies more 5G spectrum, starting with 800 MHz

What happened

At a press conference, NTA spokesperson Min Prasad Aryal said 5G has been delayed in Nepal but that the regulator has completed its own preparations. He said the NTA follows a policy of technology neutrality. This means operators may already run 5G on frequency they hold, choosing technology by business need, efficiency and international practice. Deputy Director Pradip Poudyal said the decision to release 800 MHz spectrum to existing operators has moved forward, and that 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz have priority in the next phase.

The NTA has published a request for application (RFA) for the 800 MHz auction on its website. The document offers one slot of 2x5 MHz, at 806 to 811 MHz paired with 847 to 852 MHz. Only existing mobile and basic telephone service licensees may bid, and each must have cleared all dues, including royalty and spectrum fees. The winner may use any technology within its licence, across the whole country. Bidders must also deposit a bank guarantee worth 5 percent of the reserve price.

Operators remain cautious. According to Ratopati English, service providers say 5G needs heavy investment while returns are uncertain. Poudyal said the government and the NTA could consider support, such as the fee waivers some countries use, once operators submit concrete business plans. Epardafas reported that operators have said they cannot fund 5G on their own, and that no date has been given for a decision.

The engineering behind it

Each frequency band behaves differently, and this is general radio physics. Low bands such as 800 MHz travel further and pass through walls better, so one tower can cover a wide area. That suits rural areas and indoor coverage. High bands such as 3500 MHz offer much wider blocks of spectrum and therefore higher data rates, but the signal fades faster with distance and is blocked more easily. A network built on 3500 MHz needs many more, smaller cells.

The 800 MHz slot is paired spectrum. One 5 MHz block carries traffic in one direction and the second block carries traffic in the other. This method is called frequency division duplex (FDD). Five megahertz in each direction is a narrow channel by 5G standards, so the 800 MHz band mainly adds coverage and capacity rather than very high speed. The 3500 MHz band is usually used with time division duplex (TDD), where one wide block is shared by both directions in turns.

More cells also means more backhaul. Every small cell must connect to the core network, usually by optical fibre. In general, this is where much of the cost of a dense 5G network lies, together with site rent, power and maintenance. This is one reason operators in many countries ask for a business case before buying high-band spectrum.

The auction itself is an engineered process. The RFA sets a three-step sealed bid held on a single day. Each bid must beat the previous highest by at least 5 percent of the reserve price, and the winner must pay within 15 days. Each bidder must also submit a technical and roll-out plan, covering the technology, channel plans, spectrum reuse, coverage and launch timeline.

What it means in Nepal

The Kathmandu Post reported in June 2026 that 5G was commercially available in about 130 countries, and that Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan were the only South Asian countries without it. At that time Nepal Telecom said it had decided internally to launch 5G in major cities once it received spectrum. Ncell had asked for 15 MHz in the 700 MHz band and 10 MHz in the 2600 MHz band.

Demand from users is growing slowly. According to Nepal Telecom's deputy general manager, quoted by the Post, the share of 5G-capable handsets in Nepal was about 5 percent when the company ran its trials, and is now more than 20 percent. A telecom expert told the Post that launching 5G while 4G still underperforms could lead to complaints about quality.

Ratopati English said 5G is a priority in the Digital Nepal Framework. The NTA describes its own role as providing frequency, making equipment imports easier and recommending support to the government. Until an auction is actually held and an operator builds a network, commercial 5G in Nepal remains a plan. The 800 MHz auction is the nearest concrete step. The RFA itself lists the aims of the sale: to support the Digital Nepal Framework and broadband policy, to raise mobile broadband use, to find a market price for spectrum, and to make sure spectrum is used efficiently.