Nepal clocks highest internet speed in SAARC: Ookla report

Nepal has topped the rank for the fastest fixed line internet speed among SAAR countries. In the Ookla report for January 2026, Nepal perches above the likes of Bangladesh and India for the pole position.  

In the report, Nepal clinched the top spot among the SAARC neighbors with 84.38 Mbps download speed in fixed line internet. It’s the fastest from the SAARC member countries. Bangladesh stood second with 64.37 Mbps median download speed. Globally, Nepal and Bangladesh came at 89^th and 96^th, respectively.

To compare between the two with other metrics, here is the side-by-side highlights.

Likewise, India is at third with 61.67 Mbps download speed. Sri Lanka trails at fourth with 35.79 Mbps median download speed in January 2026. On a global rank, India stood at 98^th while Sri Lanka managed to sit at 126^th.

Here, find out what internet speed is necessary for different tasks.

Nepal and SAARC countrie with internet speed details

Here’s the table to show SAARC countries, their rank in the region and globally with their download speed. Bhutan was not included by Ookla in the index.

In the meantime Singapore topped the global charts with 416.10 Mbps download speed and 322.65 Mbps upload speed and a latency of 4 ms.

The History of The Internet in Nepal: 1995 to 2021

Nepal’s increasing internet speed tally

It goes without saying that Nepal’s average internet speed is progressively increasing. But how did it happen? This has to do with most ISPs commonly providing 3-digit internet speed these days. Unlike in the recent past, many users these days have around 100 Mbps or above packages. And ADSL is almost done at the moment as fiber has become dominant.

These factors have contributed to solid average download speed in the Ookla report. It was not like this a few years before. But arguably, CG Net is the harbinger of the internet speed war in 2021 which completely transformed the internet landscape in Nepal in the fixed broadband sector. As a result, more users are connected to what we can call a broadband internet.

You can check your internet speed online to see if you are getting the promised internet service. Despite the speed factor, not many still get the quality and consistent internet speed for sure. You can see ways to improve your WiFi coverage and speed too.

Anyway, have you witnessed the internet speed boom in Nepal first-hand? Do share your experiences before and after in the comments below.   

How much speed do you get on your mobile and home WiFi broadband connection? Are you satisfied, or do you want improvement? You can share in the comments below.