Kathmandu: The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has announced it will no longer allow Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to operate Wi-Fi hotspots arbitrarily.
In a recent public notice, the authority warned that only licensed mobile service providers are authorized to offer Wi-Fi-based services and any breach of this provision will lead to legal action.
According to the directive, ISPs are permitted to operate Wi-Fi hotspots only under specific conditions defined by law, and only for a limited time and in designated areas. The NTA cited violations of the “Wi-Fi Hotspot Operation Regulation, 2018”, stating that several ISPs have been providing such services beyond the legal boundaries.
The authority clarified that only service providers with licenses for basic telecommunications, mobile telephone services, or basic telephone services—such as Nepal Telecom and Ncell—are allowed to offer seamless connectivity, roaming, and mobility through Wi-Fi. UTL, which also holds a basic telecom license, is currently not operational.
As per the regulations, Wi-Fi hotspot services can only be provided in specific geographical locations or premises (as defined in Regulation 2(c) and 2(f)), and users are allowed access only for a limited time or data usage under a one-time login system (as outlined in Regulation 5(1)).
However, NTA noted that several ISPs, particularly WorldLink, have been bypassing these rules. WorldLink, Nepal’s largest ISP, has established over 14,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots across the country under the name “Wi-Fi Express.” Users can connect automatically after the initial login, with no time or data restrictions—directly violating the regulation.
Following a directive from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, the NTA has issued a formal order to WorldLink and other ISPs, instructing them to immediately halt the illegal operation of unrestricted Wi-Fi hotspots. Moving forward, all 14,000 WorldLink hotspots will be required to comply strictly with regulatory provisions or face punitive action.
Additionally, the NTA has emphasized that all operators must adhere to the Telecommunication Radio Frequency (Allocation and Pricing) Policy, 2023, particularly clause 7.4 and Schedule 4. These mandate limitations on power usage, restrictions on backhaul/backbone networks, and the exclusive use of type-approved radio equipment.
With this directive, the NTA aims to regulate public Wi-Fi services more strictly, ensuring that only authorized telecom operators offer mobile Wi-Fi services while maintaining technical, legal, and security standards across the board.
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