Internet connection disrupted in Nepal as ISPs default payments for upstream services
May 02, 2024
Kathmandu [Nepal], May 2 : The majority of internet users in Nepal have been facing disruption in internet connection since Thursday evening as the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) failed to settle their dues.
Nepal ISPs blamed the government for the disruption. They failed to pay the Indian vendors for months as the government hasn't provided them foreign currency from the banks to make the payments.
Nepali ISPs have been facing hindrances from the Nepal government as the authorities curbed the foreign exchange facility to settle the dues with an Indian Upstream Internet service provider.
Major ISPs of Nepal, the WorldLink, Subisu, and Vianet amongst other 20 ISPs registered with the authorities have issued statements announcing service disruption.
"The Airtel, which has been providing International bandwidth to Nepal has disconnected the upstream services," Keshav Nepal, CEO of World Link Communications Limited confirmed.
The majority of the Internet Service Providers in the Himalayan Nation buy 70 per cent of the Internet from Airtel.
Moreover, Nepali ISPs have a due of about 30 million USD to be paid to International bandwidth providers.
Though the ISPs have requested the government to provide them with a foreign exchange facility, their request has been rejected for not abiding by the directives of the state authorities.
