NTC’s mobile data volume has doubled in one year. With the nationwide 4G coverage and cheaper data packs, the operator’s mobile broadband has recorded benchmark results in recent years. Keep reading for more in detail.
NTC’s data consumption in mobile has been rising steeply over the years. The state-owned operator’s daily mobile data consumption stood at 480 TB in 2021. This is a remarkable surge in comparison to the previous years. In 2020, the company’s average data cap per day was just 263 TB, Gorkhapatra has reported.
| Year | Ntc Mobile data volume per day |
| 2016 | 15 TB |
| 2017 | 25 TB |
| 2018 | 48 TB |
| 2019 | 100 TB |
| 2020 | 263 TB |
| 2021 | 480 TB |
Similarly, in 2019, NTC’s mobile internet users used a total of 100 TB per day. In 2018 and 2017 these numbers stood 48 TB and 25 TB respectively. Meanwhile, only 15 TB of mobile data was consumed 6 years ago in 2016.
Obviously, the sharp rise in mobile data volume is attributable to COVID-19 inspired digital shift of services. However, the cheaper smartphones and data packs have also worked in tandem for high mobile broadband connectivity.
Check out: Ntc data packs | Latest Update and Offers
4G Takes a Large Share of NTC’s Mobile Data Volume
The soaring mobile data demand is attributable to NTC’s 4G broadband service. A large chunk of the total bandwidth is shared by the 4G segment. Now, 4G data occupies 84% of the total mobile data in Ntc, a meteoric bump from just 7% in 2019. The table below shows more in detail.
| Year | 4G | 3G | 2G | 4G share |
| 2021 | 493 TB | 92.50 TB | 2.85 TB | 84% |
| 2019 | 7.55 | 90.61 TB | 6.15 TB | 7% |
In 4G, the telco’s total data use reached 493 TB in 2021. This seems even more surreal when we take into account the mere 7.55 TB data demand per day in 2019.
While 4G is contributing to the operator’s steady mobile broadband volume increase, the legacy network 2G’s data use has sharply fallen in these two years. This has to do with the lesser number of subscribers using 2G data.
As the internet move towards heavy bandwidth content, the dated technology doesn’t correspond to faster internet surfing. For this, mobile users now mostly prefer 4G or at least 3G for faster speeds. In 2019 July, NTC users consumed a total of 6.15 TB per day. This sank to 2.85 TB till November 2021.
Meanwhile, on 3G, the per day data use has slightly increased from 90.61 TB to 92.50 TB.
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NTC’s Nationwide 4G Expansion
Three years ago, NTC began nationwide 4G expansion with the investment of Rs.20 Arab. Apart from operating 4G in existing towers, the company has planned to set up 640 cell towers in this period. So far, 501 of them have been erected in which 451 towers have already begun their operations.
NTC is ruthlessly taking its 4G across the country. Now, the fourth-generation network is available in 710 local levels of all 77 districts. So far, 95 percent of infrastructure work has been completed. By the time all the work is done, NTC would be providing its mobile services from 4,517 sites.
As per the latest reports, NTC’s total 4G users have surpassed 74 lakhs. Meanwhile, there are more than 1 crore, 1 lakh subscribers on 3G.
Related: NTC Steers Ahead of Ncell on 4G, Adds 8 Lakh Users in a Month
The company has also started a VoLTE service that offers high-quality voice calls while allowing simultaneous internet surfing.
NTC’s Remarkable Data Consumption Can Trigger 5G’s Need Even More
The explosive mobile data usage growth is down to the situation created by COVID-19. NTC’s Spokesman Rajesh Joshi says, “After COVID-19, many services took place online which has contributed to per day increase of data consumption. The increase of digital services and nationwide 4G expansion are other factors,” he added.
Ever since the country went into lockdown, service sectors took to online to engage with their services. E-learning, work from home, business meetings, seminars, etc. all took place online. In addition, the exponential popularity of TikTok, YouTube, and multimedia gaming has also led to mounting data consumption in these last two years.
Related: TikTok Affecting Internet Speed in Nepal; ISPs Claim
Nepal is reinforcing the government’s Digital Nepal Framework. Banks and financial institutions have embraced digital shifts. 4G contents are becoming popular with video-related platforms such as YouTube and TikTok becoming more popular than ever. And with smart home devices, IoT, and WiFi 6 arriving in many households, the 4G broadband alone might not suffice the next level ecosystem of devices. And perhaps it makes 5G more so fitting and relevant as we start to see the huge demand for faster data rates and volume in Nepal.
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The Corona scare was a silver lining for mobile data proliferation. Smartphones and mobile internet concurrently became the go-to tool since the crunch of time of COVID-19. However, we are also witnessing the evolution of electronic content. With high-quality media, more bandwidth is required to access them. In this, 4G and the next-gen 5G could be our broadband vehicle for the next decade. Now, the government and the carriers must cooperate and prepare for the 5G trial soon and begin the next-gen mobile network revolution in Nepal.
How satisfied you are with NTC’s mobile broadband services, especially its 4G broadband? Do share with us in the comments below.
