Nepal Telecom Sees Sharp Decline in Landline Users, Only 36,000 Left

Despite efforts to introduce Fiber to the Home (FTTH) technology, mobile usage and internet access have caused a significant drop in landline subscribers across Nepal.
February 2, 2025
Nepal telecom

Nepal Telecom’s landline users have drastically decreased, with only 36,000 users remaining across the country. This decline has continued despite efforts to expand with Fiber to the Home (FTTH) services, which have not attracted a significant number of new customers.

As mobile phones and internet access have become more convenient, people prefer using their mobile devices over landlines. Apart from a small number of business users, many older landline connections in homes are becoming obsolete.

Seven years ago, Nepal Telecom had 684,000 landline users, but by the end of December 2024, that number dropped to just 36,000. Nepal Telecom had tried to replace traditional copper wire landlines with FTTH services, but this shift has not led to the expected increase in users. As of the most recent data, FTTH has only attracted 371,000 voice users, far fewer than the landline users before 2074 (2017).

FTTH technology was introduced to provide voice, data, and video services through a single optical fiber line. Despite this, the number of voice users has remained low, showing that the newer technology has not succeeded in attracting people who previously used landlines.

At the peak seven years ago, landline use was at its highest, with 684,000 users by the end of 2074 (2017). Back then, wireless technology brought the total number of landline users to 800,000. Today, by 2081 (2024), only 407,000 users remain, including those using FTTH.

According to Nepal Telecom spokesperson Hari Dhakal, the decrease in landline users is due to the increased use of mobile phones, widespread Wi-Fi and internet access in homes, and the availability of 4G data. Nepal Telecom has shifted from copper wires to optical fiber, providing both voice and data services through FTTH. Previously, landline services were offered with an additional ADSL internet connection, but now optical fiber has replaced this technology.

Currently, there are only 36,000 users left on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and Nepal Telecom has indicated that these users will eventually be switched to FTTH, leading to the phasing out of PSTN services in the near future.

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