Mobile-first Economy In the past, the expansion of telecommunication infrastructure in Nepal was restricted due to multiple challenges including difficult topography, adverse economic conditions, and political instability. In the past decade, however, the country has seen notable improvements in the telecommunication landscape driven by investments from leading mobile network operators Telecom and Ncell. Like many other Asian countries, the mobile services industry in Nepal has recorded remarkable growth in the past four to five years. Mobile penetration increased exponentially to 113% in 2017 from 21% in 2009, 11 with the robust growth expected to sustain in the next five years. Source: Nepal Telecommunications Authority Source: World Bank Internet Penetration Nepalese increasingly realize the benefits of the Internet, with the penetration rate rising at 6%–9% rate annually in the past five years. Source: Nepal Telecom Authority; World Bank 11 Nepal Telecommunications Authority 14