Nepal Telecom has begun notifying its remaining 3G subscribers to upgrade to 4G SIM cards ahead of a planned network shutdown, offering free replacements at service centres nationwide as it prepares to reallocate 3G spectrum for 4G expansion and an eventual 5G rollout.
The state-owned operator has approximately 700,000 subscribers still on 3G, according to Nepal Telecommunications Authority data, against a 4G base of nearly 14.5 million. Customers with older SIM cards are being contacted by SMS and automated voice calls and directed to visit a Nepal Telecom office with valid government identification to receive a replacement SIM carrying the same number with 4G capability. Activating 4G and VoLTE services requires dialling *444# after the SIM swap.
Nepal Telecom plans to complete the 3G phase-out by fiscal year 2083/84 under the Nepali calendar. The shutdown will free spectrum currently allocated to 3G for reallocation to 4G and 5G infrastructure, reducing operational costs and improving network performance. Competitor Ncell has already begun phasing out 3G in several eastern districts including Jhapa, Dhankuta and Tehrathum.
Nepal was the first South Asian country to launch commercial 3G services, doing so in May 2007, making the current shutdown the close of nearly two decades of third-generation operation. The country’s 5G rollout remains delayed despite trials beginning in 2021, with spectrum allocation yet to be formalised. Nepal Telecom’s managing director has formally requested 5G frequencies from the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, and a Standalone 5G launch in Kathmandu and Pokhara is under consideration pending allocation.
