Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has informed that internet users will soon be compensated for disruption in mobile data and/or fixed broadband internet service.

The authority is preparing to bring ‘Regulation on Quality of Telecommunication Service, 2023’ which has a provision that internet service providers shall compensate their customers in case of service disruption.

The spokesperson for NTA, Santosh Paudel, informed that the authority is putting the legal provision in place to address the mounting complaints regarding poor internet connection from consumers and will probably come into effect from April 14.

Nepali internet users are often dissatisfied with their service providers over bad internet service even though Nepal has the highest internet cost than other South Asian countries.

According to a report published by International Telecommunication Union in 2021, Nepal doesn’t have affordable digital access as an average Nepali has to spend 2.6% of their gross annual income for internet service, whereas the cost in other South Asian countries is less than 1%.

Once this regulation is implemented, the authority believes it will push the ISPs to provide quality internet service.

Mobile network companies shall have to pay compensation to their data users if service is disrupted during the package duration. Meanwhile, fiber-optic users can claim compensation if service is disrupted for a minimum of four hours in urban areas and more than 24 hours in remote areas.

ISP companies will have to offer either a free extension of the service or a reduction in charge as compensation.