Ncell has begun providing customers with mobile numbers starting with the new 971 range, following government approval.

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) on May 28, 2025 authorised the company to issue numbers under this range after Ncell’s existing allocations — 980, 981, 982 and 970 — became insufficient to meet demand for new SIM cards.

“We are thankful to the NTA for granting approval for this new number range, keeping the market situation in mind. After completing the necessary preparations, we started issuing new numbers under this range. At a time when the use of mobile phones has expanded beyond basic communication to include digital transactions and access to various services, these new numbers will benefit both consumers and various service providers,” said Upanga Dutta, Chief Consumer Business Officer of Ncell.

With the rollout, Ncell has requested all government and non-government bodies, service providers, offices, banks and financial institutions — any entity directly or indirectly linked to mobile systems — to integrate or update the new 971 range in their systems at the earliest.

According to the company, timely integration is essential to ensure seamless service delivery.