Nepal Telecom and Ncell to Shut Down 3G, Upgrade All Users to 4G

Kathmandu – Despite nationwide availability of 4G, 356,000 customers of Nepal Telecom are still using 3G internet. According to Nepal Telecom, a total of 700,000 users continue to rely on 3G data. Most of these users have 4G-enabled devices but have not upgraded their SIM cards or switched to 4G.Nepal Telecom has announced plans to phase out all 3G networks by the fiscal year 2083/84. As part of this plan, customers with 3G SIM cards will be offered free upgrades to 4G. Users are being notified via SMS and automated calls from 01498 to facilitate the transition.In the first phase, if users do not upgrade via SMS notifications, an outbound IVR service will call and play a recorded message urging customers to switch to 4G SIMs. According to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, there are currently 700,000 3G users with Nepal Telecom, a number expected to decrease over time.Ncell has also initiated its 3G shutdown process, starting from Jhapa and gradually expanding to other districts. Authority data shows that Ncell has only 91,000 3G users left, while its 4G user base has reached 11.981 million.