Nepal Telecom is a big ISP company and they also provide internet through optical fibers. Their service is called NTC FTTH or Nepal Telecom FTTH. The word FTTH stands for Fiber to the home. The service from NTC actually started in 2072 in limited places. The packages were also different at that time but now NT Fiber is in many places. The company has expanded a lot and many users have shifted from ADSL to FTTH. Similar to some people, I have also been an ADSL user for 10 years and I have also migrated to the fiber service. So I wanted to share my Nepal Telecom FTTH review, comparison, detailed speed test, and views on the service.
Related: How to do Nepal Telecom ADSL to NTC FTTH Migration
Before I migrated to the NT Fiber service, I also had many questions because I could not find good reviews. So I used to ask people who have connections at home and people on the Internet. Almost everyone says that the service is better than ADSL. That is surely true but people couldn’t tell everything. So in this Nepal Telecom FTTH review, I will cover everything that is important. This includes speed tests, speed in different services, consistency, stability, uptime, router review, and many other things. This NTC Fiber net review should provide a complete idea of the FTTH service from Nepal Telecom.
Connection Procedure: Nepal Telecom FTTH Review
Nepal Telecom is a government organization but the work process has become faster these days. In previous days the process of getting a connection was very long. These days new connections of FTTH are provided as early as one day and even by calling at 198. People used to face long queues and a lack of response from the staff but these days customer support and new connections are provided at a quick pace.
In many places and households, NTC has upgraded the connection of existing ADSL and landline PSTN users by themselves. This makes the connection procedure very easy. However, in some places, customers have to go to the office and fill out a form to request an upgrade. In my case in 2021, it took me 2 days to complete the upgrade task.
On the first day, I noted the NT Fiber box number outside my home and went to the office to ask about its activeness. After the staff confirmed that the box was ready to distribute a new connection, I took one form and came home to fill it. By the way, if the Optical Termination Box (OTB) on the pole already has cables coming out then there is no need to ask at the office. Just download the form from the NTC website for FTTH connection and fill out.
On the second day, I submitted the form and got the new connection. The staff came to my home the same day and just installed everything. In my case, everything was smooth and the installation time was short. However one of my friends had to wait for 4 days for the staff to come. So the experience for everyone is different. Overall we suggest that NTC make the procedure even faster and make the upgrade application process online. This way people can save time and it becomes easy.
Also Read: Best ISP in Nepal
NTC FTTH Router Review
Nepal Telecom has distributed routers of different models and companies till now. These things come in batches and differ in each tender. At the time of upgrading in 2021, NTC allotted me an FTTH Customer-premises equipment (CPE) or simply a router. The router is TEWA-500G GPON ONU from Sichuan Tianyi Kanghe Communication Co. Ltd. It is a router with LAN output, double WiFi antennas, and two telephone line outputs. The router is very easy to install and looks quite good. NTC provides router and drop cable to customers who pay at once for at least 3 months. So I got the router, optical drop wire, and 3 months of internet service for Rs 2850.
The TEWA-500G has 4 LAN outputs where two LAN ports are gigabit ports and the remaining two are fast ethernet ports. This means it is a 2GE+2FE system. The Gigabit ports (GE) support 1000 Mbps transfer speed and FE ports support 100 Mbps. Therefore always connect your computer or secondary WAN router to 1st port.
In the case of router access, we have to give credit to Nepal Telecom for allowing users to access the routers. By the way, TEWA-500G CPE for the NTC FTTH also has TR-069 like other Nepali ISPs which means the company can have access to it. Inside the TEWA-500G router, the interface is very basic, many things are hidden and there aren’t many features except settings such as Wireless settings. Users can set WiFi name, password, security type, repeater, guest wifi, and Mac ID access control. It would have been better if there were more settings such as port forwarding, DNS server, bandwidth control, and QoS.
In 2023, I shifted to the Triple Play package which has NTTV (IPTV), Telephone, and the Internet. My old TV connection was using the co-axial cable and that company always had problems every week. In the 2080 Nepal Telecom Dashain Offer, the company upgraded the basic triple play package of 20 Mbps to 50 Mbps at the same price of Rs 12,000.
Also Read: Nepal Telecom NTTV Review: NTC IPTV Service
So I shifted to that service because it was great considering that we get all three services and a free TV Set Top Box as well. We also have published a full NTTV Review in another article. In the upgrade process, NTC provided a new router in exchange for the old router that had 5GHz WiFi and USB.
Price Comparison
As I have been a long-time user of ADSL, my main comparison of NT Fiber is with older services. This is because both Nepal Telecom ADSL and NT Fiber internet services are from NTC and the price range is similar. Before migrating, I used to pay Rs 800 per month for the ADSL 5 Mbps unlimited service.
For FTTH in 2022, I used to pay Rs 1000 per month for a 25 Mbps unlimited internet package with free telephone. At first, the service was 15 Mbps when I upgraded but after a month of my purchase of the connection, NTC upgraded to 25 Mbps for new users at the same price of Rs 1,000. In 2023 October I purchased the yearly package at Rs 12,000 which provided 50 Mbps internet, telephone, and TV. The package was named 20 Mbps but was upgraded to 50 Mbps as a festival offer.
In the past, I actually used to pay Rs 800 for ADSL plus an average of Rs 400 for telephone, so the FTTH package is cheaper and faster in comparison. Moreover, the triple play package at Rs 12000 is the most value-providing package because it even gives a free set-top box on top of all three services. Nepal Telecom has actually brought many good packages with good speed after many NTC FTTH package price reductions and revisions. You should check the latest NTC FTTH tariff list and charges for more details on price and package comparison.
NTC FTTH Speed Test
It is one of the most important aspects of the review that everybody wants to know. I performed a lot of speed tests with the Nepal Telecom FTTH service to find out the NTC Fiber net speed. I carried out the speed tests on different devices, modes, services, and at different times. This means the speed test results of my review include tests using WiFi and LAN. It is very important to check both modes because we have seen discrepancies in speed in the two modes. Usually, LAN provides better results than WLAN or WiFi.
I have also tested the service at different times such as morning, day, and night because it gives a good idea of the speed of service at peak and off-hours. There are also speed tests on normal downloads, video streaming, and P2P. I have also included a few speed test results from the older ADSL service as well. All of these should provide a good idea about the new service. All the speed test results given below are for 15 Mbps, 25 Mbps, and 50 Mbps connections from Nepal Telecom for FTTH service.
Upload and Download Speed Test Results for 15 Mbps Connection
| Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | Ping (ms) | Time (NPT) | Testing Site/Server | Device/Mode | Result ID |
| 46.62 | 30.74 | 2 | 8:49 AM | Speedtest.net/Nepal Telecom | Desktop/LAN | 12142997541 |
| 47.70 | 14.40 | 4 | 8:39 AM | Speedtest.net/Cherry World | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 15.58 | 15.49 | 2 | 8:49 AM | Speedtest.net/Wifi HD Nepal | Desktop/LAN | 12142999474 |
| 29.50 | 29.8 | 3 | 8:40 AM | Speedtest.net/Nepal Telecom | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 15.59 | 15.33 | 34 | 8:50 AM | Speedtest.net/Airtel Mumbai | Desktop/LAN | 12143001803 |
| 14.50 | 14.80 | 40 | 8:41 AM | Speedtest.net/Airtel Mumbai | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 42.00 | 170.00 | 5 | 8:51 AM | Fast.com/NP,IN,IN | Desktop/LAN | |
| 39.00 | 38.00 | 4 | 8:36 AM | Fast.com/NP,IN,IN | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 14.20 | 18.00 | 264 | 8:52 AM | Google Fiber Speedtest/Atlanta | Desktop/LAN | |
| 46.62 | 15.42 | 1 | 1:08 PM | Speedtest.net/Cherry World | Desktop/LAN | 12143756228 |
| 47.60 | 30.80 | 3 | 1:14 PM | Speedtest.net/Nepal Telecom | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 31.22 | 30.73 | 2 | 1:09 PM | Speedtest.net/Nepal Telecom | Desktop/LAN | 12143758882 |
| 14.30 | 14.6 | 4 | 1:15 PM | Speedtest.net/Subisu CableNet | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 15.56 | 15.40 | 45 | 1:10 PM | Speedtest.net/TataSky Chennai | Desktop/LAN | 12143762014 |
| 14.30 | 14.90 | 51 | 1:15 PM | Speedtest.net/TataSky Chennai | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 40.00 | 170.00 | 5 | 1:11 PM | Fast.com/NP,IN,IN | Desktop/LAN | |
| 43.00 | 39.00 | 4 | 1:16 PM | Fast.com/NP,IN,IN | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 14.00 | 15.70 | 269 | 1:12 PM | Google Fiber Speedtest/Atlanta | Desktop/LAN | |
| 46.06 | 15.38 | 2 | 9:47 PM | Speedtest.net/WebSurfer Nepal | Desktop/LAN | 12146014570 |
| 47.10 | 14.60 | 3 | 9:41 PM | Speedtest.net/Arrownet | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 31.23 | 30.22 | 1 | 9:48 PM | Speedtest.net/Nepal Telecom | Desktop/LAN | 12146018221 |
| 29.50 | 29.70 | 3 | 9:42 PM | Speedtest.net/Nepal Telecom | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 14.00 | 12.60 | 281 | 9:49 PM | Speedtest.net/VI India Gwalior | Desktop/LAN | 12146026798 |
| 15.90 | 13.90 | 143 | 9:43 PM | Speedtest.net/VI India Kolkata | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 41.00 | 44.00 | 6 | 9:50 PM | Fast.com/NP,IN,IN | Desktop/LAN | |
| 36.00 | 37.00 | 4 | 9:43 PM | Fast.com/NP,IN,IN | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 14.50 | 14.20 | 250 | 9: 51 PM | Google Fiber Speedtest/Atlanta | Desktop/LAN |
Upload and Download Speed Test Results for 25 Mbps Connection
| Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | Ping (ms) | Time (NPT) | Testing Site/Server | Device/Mode | Result ID |
| 77.88 | 25.71 | 1 | 8:48 AM | Speedtest.net/Arrownet Pvt. Ltd | Desktop/LAN | 12437309456 |
| 24.13 | 1.12 | 164 | 8:49 AM | Speedtest.net/Vi Siliguri | Desktop/LAN | 12437311756 |
| 72 | 26 | 6 | 8:50 AM | Fast.com/NP,IN,IN | Desktop/LAN | |
| 24.0 | 23.9 | 265 | 8:50 AM | Google Fiber Speedtest/Charlotte | Desktop/LAN | |
| 64.9 | 27.8 | 5 | 8:35 AM | Speedtest.net/Classictech | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 52.8 | 55.6 | 4 | 8:35 AM | Speedtest.net/Nepal Telecom | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 25.3 | 27.2 | 84 | 8:36 AM | Speedtest.net/Airnetwork Bihar | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 44 | 52 | 35 | 8:37 AM | Fast.com/NP,IN,IN | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 8.20 | 16.0 | 257 | 8:38 AM | Google Fiber Speedtest/Atlanta | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 51.93 | 51.54 | 1 | 1:29 PM | Speedtest.net/Mercantile | Desktop/LAN | 12438075814 |
| 52.12 | 25.68 | 2 | 1:30 PM | Speedtest.net/Broadlink Network | Desktop/LAN | 12438079210 |
| 25.65 | 25.49 | 46 | 1:31 PM | Speedtest.net/Tatasky Mumbai | Desktop/LAN | 12438081850 |
| 74 | 420 | 7 | 1:31 PM | Fast.com/NP,IN,IN | Desktop/LAN | |
| 23.4 | 23.7 | 270 | 1:32 PM | Google Fiber Speedtest/Atlanta | Desktop/LAN | |
| 24.2 | 24.5 | 6 | 1:24 PM | Speedtest.net/Worldlink | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 52.2 | 64.5 | 4 | 1:24 PM | Speedtest.net/Nepal Telecom | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 27.8 | 24.7 | 125 | 1:26 PM | Speedtest.net/Fabnet Kolkata | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 62 | 54 | 39 | 1:35 PM | Fast.com/NP,IN,SG | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 14.8 | 16.0 | 279 | 1:35 PM | Google Fiber Speedtest/Atlanta | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 25.85 | 25.55 | 1 | 10:09 PM | Speedtest.net/Websurfer | Desktop/LAN | 12440117733 |
| 51.45 | 25.55 | 3 | 10:10 PM | Speedtest.net/Classictech | Desktop/LAN | 12440121149 |
| 24.83 | 25.05 | 145 | 10:11 PM | Speedtest.net/Jio Hyderabad | Desktop/LAN | 12440128368 |
| 79 | 73 | 6 | 10:12 PM | Fast.com/NP,IN,SG | Desktop/LAN | |
| 24.5 | 23.6 | 269 | 10:13 PM | Google Fiber Speedtest/Atlanta | Desktop/LAN | |
| 54.7 | 53.7 | 4 | 10:01 PM | Speedtest.net/Nepal Telecom | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 24.6 | 2.35 | 50 | 10:02 PM | Speedtest.net/Next Geekers | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 25.7 | 26.7 | 71 | 10:03 PM | Speedtest.net/Airtel Calicut | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 54 | 34 | 108 | 10:05 PM | Fast.com/NP,IN,SG | Mobile/WiFi | |
| 5.79 | 16 | 272 | 10:06 PM | Google Fiber Speedtest/Atlanta | Mobile/WiFi |
Upload and Download Speed Test Results for 50 Mbps Connection (Triple Play)
Let us make a few things clear the TV doesn’t eat up internet speed or bandwidth. The TV runs smoothly even if the download is at full speed. However, using YouTube on the set-top box can consume the data cap.
| Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | Ping (ms) | Testing Site/Server | Device/Mode | Result ID |
| 208.18 | 94.78 | 2 | Speedtest.net/Nepal Telecom | Desktop/LAN | 15536661198 |
| 53.44 | 93.75 | 153 | Speedtest.net/Worldlink | Desktop/LAN | 15536664883 |
| 44.98 | 75.94 | 204 | Speedtest.net/Jio Mumbai | Desktop/LAN | 15536668342 |
| 89.38 | 86.54 | 294 | Speedtest.net/Bell Waterloo | Desktop/LAN | 15536672318 |
| 200 | 89 | 7 | Fast.com/NP,IN,SG | Desktop/LAN |
Browsing, File Downloads, P2P, and Video Stream Experience
The first thing that felt faster just after replacing the ADSL router in my home and using the internet from the FTTH router was page speed. Web pages load much faster and everything feels very snappy. All the major websites such as Google, YouTube, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, etc launch fast on computers. The feed scrolling and site launch are very fast compared to the old service. This kind of change feels very positive and many upgraders might notice it. However, many won’t feel much difference in their daily social media browsing such as Facebook on mobile. So your experience may vary.
25 Mbps Review: The normal file or software download speed from servers and P2P file sharing speed are very good in the NTC Fiber internet service. In the case of my 25 Mbps package, all the downloads had at least 18 Mbps (2.2 MB/s) speed. The speeds mostly exceeded the limit in some cases. Usually, file downloading and P2P traffic was around 2.5 MB/s speed which is terrific. This speed and stability were seen all around the day and even in peak hours at night. In the case where file servers were far, the download speeds were in the 20 Mbps range and were only as low as about 13 Mbps.
50 Mbps Review: In the NTC FTTH speed test video above we have screen recordings of the speed test, file download through IDM, game server ping test, and torrent download as well. All the test shows that NTC is giving 50 Mbps and even more in most of the times. All the types of download are faster than 50 Mbps and it is very smooth.
One place where everyone notices differences is video streaming and playback. YouTube videos play at 1080p resolution on default without any issues. Even 4K video streaming is quite easy and that is incredible. Facebook videos also play well at 1920×1080 resolution without any freeze. Amazon Prime videos and Netflix videos also play fine at HD quality. However, they take up a lot of bandwidth in a short time.
Gaming on NTC Fiber
I actually don’t play online games on any platform. I don’t play online games on my phone or computer. My choice for gaming is always offline single-player story mode or local multiplayer. Therefore I can’t provide a gaming experience for people who like to play games such as PUBG, Free Fire, CS: GO, Call of Duty, and many others. However, in the latest NTC FTTH speed test video of a 50 Mbps connection, we have tested game server ping. Those can be found a the end of the video that is embedded above or in our YouTube channel.
Uptime and Stability
Nepal Telecom FTTH service is very stable in my review. I have used it for one whole month and there has not been any downtime. I have used the service for a whole month during the day and for some parts at night. NT FTTH is very stable and the speed is quite consistent all day. The service has very high uptime which is a good thing. We actually hear many people complaining about downtime from other private ISPs but NTC has a good track record on this aspect.
NTC FTTH service is stable if there is no physical damage to your connection. So I have had a good experience with the service. Usually, internet downtime happens when there is an issue in the ISP server or connection. By connection, I mean the optical ground wire (OPGW) coming to the OTB on the pole and the drop cable connecting the OTB to CPE inside your home. If any physical accident happens or fiber breakage occurs, then downtime can happen.
In the past, I also faced huge ADSL downtime issues, connection problems, and stability issues for many years. I used to go to the office to complain because nobody used to pick up the phone or they were busy. However, the problems disappeared drastically from 2017. Since then there has been very little downtime with NTC ADSL. Overall the experience was very good for the last few years. Now, the FTTH service from Nepal Telecom is also very good with high uptime and stability.
FUP: Is it truly unlimited?
Fair Use Policy (FUP) is a rule that ISPs impose over an unlimited internet connection in Nepal. This actually is very contradictory because FUP actually locks users and doesn’t let them enjoy unlimited. Many private ISPs in Nepal have a certain limit of bandwidth use even in unlimited packages. If a user consumes a certain amount of data in a short period or a certain amount of time, the ISP reduces their speed. They say that it is to ensure every customer can enjoy and have the best experience. By the way, people don’t like it and we can find people complaining on social media handles of service providers.
Most Internet Service Providers in Nepal have a clear rule regarding FUP. They have publicly published rules with data limits, caps, and penalty periods. Similarly, in the case of Nepal Telecom, they also have FUP and they are on a daily basis. In the case of the 10 Mbps (25 Mbps after upgrade) package data limit is 25 GB/day, for the 20, 25, and 30 Mbps (50 Mbps after upgrade) packages the limit is 50 GB/day, for a 40 Mbps (100 Mbps after upgrade) service the limit is 100 GB/day, and for the 80 Mbps (150 Mbps after upgrade) package, the limit is 150 GB/day.
After the limit is reached, the speed is throttled back to 5 Mbps. These FUP limits have been revised and upgraded substantially if we compare the past data cap. However, in comparison to other ISPs, this volume is quite low. The speed and stability of NTC FTTH are fantastic but the data cap is what needs to be increased further.
Therefore in a sense, it is both limited and unlimited. A user actually has a daily data cap for the contract speed. So you can only enjoy fast speed for a certain amount. After the data cap is reached speed is back to 5 Mbps. The 5 Mbps is unlimited though. However, it is quite uncommon for normal users to reach the limit. But people who stream video content and download games can surely reach it easily.
Conclusion
Nepal Telecom FTTH service is actually good because of many aspects. First of all, it is a must-have upgrade from ADSL. If you are still using NTC ADSL and you have Fiber available in your area, upgrade to FTTH. Even if you have paid in advance, the balance can be shifted to the new service. According to my friend who was upgraded automatically has 8 Mbps service and he is also satisfied. In another case, if you pay for ADSL and PSTN monthly, change it immediately because the Fiber package is cheaper and faster.
In my review, the NT Fiber service shows good uptime, stability, speed, and consistency. Daily web browsing, downloading, video playback, and streaming have been good for a 4 person family. Actually, the deciding factor is always user and speed. The 50 Mbps package is one of the best packages for 4 member family. It has IPTV or NTTV, Telephone and Internet. By the way, things are actually different when everyone is a heavy user or you have distributed it. Many people actually distribute WiFi to their tenants so it may not be enough. For such people, a high-speed package is better.
NTC also has a high-speed package such as 150 Mbps service which can be sufficient for a large number of users. The bandwidth need and price factor is your thing to decide. Always pick the service that fits your budget. However, be careful about service quality as well. For the time being, the current package and service quality from Nepal Telecom are good for me and I hope to see even further improvements in service.
