Nepal must leapfrog the internet: Stop measuring yesterday's internet. Build tomorrow's digital economy
Summary
Nepal should stop comparing monthly internet prices and instead measure the full lifecycle cost of connectivity, especially in mountains and remote settlements where terrestrial infrastructure is expensive to build and maintain. The article argues for a hybrid digital strategy with fibre, wireless and satellite internet, along with regulated experimentation in blockchain and digital finance.
Key Points
- Nepal should judge internet infrastructure by total cost of ownership, not by retail monthly prices alone.
- The article argues that satellite internet can be economically superior in remote terrain where fibre and towers are costly to build and maintain.
- A hybrid model is recommended: fibre for urban capacity, wireless for flexibility and satellite for geography.
- The piece also calls for regulated experimentation in blockchain, digital identity and digital finance tools.
