Ncell Axiata Limited (Nepali: एनसेल आजियाटा) is a mobile service provider from Nepal. Ncell is Nepal's first largest company in terms of revenue market share and second largest telecommunications company, after Nepal Telecom in terms of subscriber base. The company was founded in 2004.
Company type | Public |
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Industry | Telecommunications |
Founded | 2004 |
Headquarters | Lainchaur, Kathmandu |
Area served | Nepal |
Key people | Jabbor Kayumov CEO & Managing Director[1] |
Products | Mobile Telephony, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, 3G, 4G, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA |
Number of employees | 500+ (as of 2021) |
Website | www |
The journey begins in the year 2004. There was only one major telecom operator at the time, Nepal Telecom. Nepal Telecom has been providing PSTN and GSM services. Investing in telecommunications and competing with governmental agencies was a major risk at the time. With entry of Ncell, Nepali consumers had an option and the telecommunications sector witnessed a remarkable progress due to competition in the market.
On 1 June 2017, Ncell launched its 4G/LTE service in Kathmandu Valley (including the areas of Nagarkot, Banepa and Dhulikhel of Kavrepalanchowk district). A month later, the company launched 4G/LTE service in Pokhara and Damauli (two western cities of Nepal). As of December 2021, Ncell expanded 4G/LTE service ensuring access to over 75% of total population, covering all seven Nepali provinces.[3] In a bid to implement a next-generation billing system, Ncell adopted Alibaba's Apsara Cloud for its digital strategy.[4]
In 2010, when Ncell was still owned by TeliaSonera, its highest 3G base station was built near one of the Everest Base Camps at an altitude of 5,200 meters (17,000 feet).[5]
Ncell provides a self-service app which is relied upon by a majority of users. By installing the Ncell app, customers can recharge their account, check balance information, and purchase data/voice packs. The app can be also used to send 10 free SMS messages daily; however, data charges may apply if the app is used outside of Nepal.[6]