Nepal's Telecom Regulator Tightens Festival and Promotional Offers for Service Providers

Now, Nepal's telecom service providers will face stricter limitations on their festival and promotional offers, as the Regulatory Telecommunication Authority (Nepal Telecommunications Authority) takes action to curb distortion that hinders consumer benefits. Under the new rules, voice service providers will be allowed to offer only up to 100 festival offers and 25 promotional offers in a financial year. To ensure transparency, providers must inform the authority seven days in advance, and these offers can last from 15 days to three months.

There are two types of offers that service providers can publicize - festival offers and promotional offers. The provision allows them to bring 10 offers at a time and 100 offers within a financial year. Moreover, the authority stipulates that such offers must provide more concessions than regular services to genuinely benefit consumers.

The recent discovery of some service providers applying the fee acceptance of one offer to others has prompted the authority to act, stating that this practice will be halted. Offers accepted for one purpose should not be counted as offers if they are used for other purposes, ensuring fair treatment for consumers.

In addition to these measures, the authority instructs service providers to present promotional offers in a clear and understandable manner, ensuring that consumers can make informed decisions about the services they avail.

These regulatory changes aim to create a more transparent and consumer-friendly environment within the telecom sector, benefitting both service providers and consumers alike.