Private internet service providers are facing a backlash after withdrawing cheaper plans below 50 Mbps and raising tariffs, prompting some customers to switch to Nepal Telecom’s more affordable fibre service.

The state-owned telecom company’s annual 30 Mbps package, priced at Rs4,999 including free installation, has attracted growing interest. But some customers making the switch have complained about delays in customer support and questioned the quality of the service and equipment.

Nepal Telecom says demand for new connections has risen as much as threefold, forcing it to introduce a dedicated hotline and an online portal to manage enquiries and installation requests.

Arjun Tamang, from Nuwakot, said he tried to arrange a connection during the Dashain festival but struggled to reach customer support. An automated response told him he was 161st in the queue and would have to wait 16 minutes before speaking to a representative.

Dissatisfaction with private providers has also spread across social media. Anup Thakuri, a WorldLink customer, complained on Facebook that his monthly bill for a 50 Mbps Special BTL package had risen from Rs1,017 in September to Rs1,350 in October.

“How has the price of WorldLink Wi-Fi gone up like this? I used to pay Rs1,017 every month, but now it has suddenly jumped to Rs1,350,” he wrote. “Is it just me, or has everyone’s bill gone up?”

Consumers have taken to Facebook and X to protest what they say are unannounced price increases and the withdrawal of cheaper packages. Students and people on lower incomes are among those affected by the removal of plans offering speeds below 50 Mbps.

Soon after private providers announced the changes, Nepal Telecom introduced its discounted festive-season offer, giving customers an alternative as frustration over private ISPs’ tariffs mounted.

The increased interest has translated into a sharp rise in demand for Nepal Telecom’s fibre connections. Prakshet Thapa Chhetri, the company’s assistant spokesperson, said requests for new connections had tripled compared with previous levels.

The number of new connections, which averaged 3,000 a month in the two preceding months, doubled to 6,000 in mid-September to mid-October, he said.

The company has received particularly strong demand from densely populated urban areas, including Kathmandu. Its Dashain-Tihar offer provides a 30 Mbps NT Fibre connection for Rs4,999 a year, with the installation fee waived.

Interest remained high throughout Dashain after Prime Minister Balendra Shah shared a poster promoting the offer on his Facebook page on October 9, the company said. “Having the prime minister, who has a large social media following and considerable popularity, promote the offer has been a big help with marketing,” Thapa said. “It has made more consumers aware of the affordable package and directly contributed to the rise in demand for NT Fibre.”

Soon after Shah shared the poster, however, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority fined Nepal Telecom and five other service providers Rs50,000 each for operating services in breach of licence conditions.

The regulatory action followed a report by TechPana that the package had been announced without the authority’s approval. Nepal Telecom subsequently issued a statement saying it had already informed the regulator about the offer.

Sanjay Mahato, from Tandi in Chitwan, also shared his experience of switching to Nepal Telecom, saying he had bought a one-year fibre package on October 17 after private providers raised their prices. But he cautioned other customers about the router supplied with the Rs4,999 package. In a social media post, he alleged that customers opting for the 30 Mbps plan were being given old, single-band routers returned by other users, while those subscribing to the 50 Mbps plan received new dual-band devices.

“It turns out they give customers old single-band routers returned by other users in the name of offering a cheaper package,” he wrote. “Customers taking the 50 Mbps plan get a new dual-band router, but those opting for 30 Mbps are given old single-band ones.”

Asked about complaints over service quality, Thapa said Nepal Telecom was not compromising on standards. The company already had sufficient network capacity to handle the surge in demand, he said, adding that the increase in new connections would not affect internet speeds or service quality.

The company has also reported a sharp rise in calls to its hotline, 198, for enquiries and new connection requests.

Meanwhile, some users have been using public Facebook groups to challenge the government over its perceived silence on rising internet tariffs. They argue that prices have increased even as the administration, which benefited from strong social media support, has promoted the state-owned provider’s offer.

Shankar Karki, an administrator of the Vianet Internet Users Group, has repeatedly criticised the price increases.

“Since the new government took office, internet prices have risen and competition has effectively stopped,” he wrote. “Until a few months ago, ISPs were offering various deals. Now, they have raised prices by 50, 55, 60 or even 100 percent. Does the Balendra government, which promotes Nepal Telecom’s advertisements, know nothing about this?”

The Internet Service Providers’ Association of Nepal, the industry’s umbrella organisation, and representatives of individual service providers could not be reached for comment. Some declined to respond.