According to Section 3 of the Radio Communication (License) Regulation, radio machines, including communication equipment (such as satellite receiving system or satellite communication system; cordless telephone; and similar communication devices), and all radio equipment not specifically exempted from the licensing requirement, require a license for import.

According to Section 3 of the Online Media Operation Directive, online news companies are required to be registered at the Department of Information and Broadcasting to provide online content.

The indicator "6.2.4 - Government Internet shut down in practice" of the V-Dem Dataset, which measures whether the government has the technical capacity to actively make internet service cease, thus interrupting domestic access to the internet or whether the government has decided to do so, has a score of 3 in Nepal. This corresponds to "Rarely but there have been a few occasions throughout the year when the government shut down domestic access to Internet."

It is reported that Nepal imposes an identity requirement for SIM registration. Anyone wanting to purchase a SIM card has to provide their national ID card, or a passport in case of foreigners, to activate a new prepaid SIM card.

The Electronic Transactions Act establishes a safe harbour regime for intermediaries for copyright infringements. According to Art. 43 of the law, network service providers are not subject to criminal or civil liability arising from third-party content. The only exception is if the network service provider publishes the content fully aware that it contravenes the law.

The Electronic Transactions Act establishes a safe harbour regime beyond intermediaries for copyright infringements. According to Art. 43 of the law, network service providers are not subject to criminal or civil liability arising from third-party content. The only exception is if the network service provider publishes the content fully aware that it contravenes the law.

The Privacy Act is the legal framework for data protection. The Act requires consent to be obtained for collecting personal or family data of any person, and requires that data be used only for the purpose for which data has been collected. Consent is required to publish, or caused to be published, the details related to the following forms of data: health examination, property and income generation, employment, family matters, biometric details and thumb impression, electronic signature, political affiliation and election, and business or transactions.

Section 12(4) of the Privacy Act prohibits the disclosing, making public, or transferring of the following data of an individual, without the consent of the individual: details relating to a medical examination; details relating to property and income; details relating to employment; details relating to family matters; biometric data and fingerprints; signatures or electronic signatures; details relating to political affiliation and voting; and details relating to profession and business. The term 'transfer' as mentioned above, may signify the transfer of personal data outside Nepal thereby requiring specific consent from the individual.

Nepal has not joined any agreement with binding commitments to open transfers of data across borders.

Nepal has not appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments.

It is reported that the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), the executive authority for the supervision and administration of services in the telecommunications sector, is independent from the government in the decision-making process.

Nepal does not mandate functional separation for operators with significant market power (SMP) in the telecom market. However, there is an obligation of accounting separation.

According to Art. Section 5.6.2 of the Telecommunication Policy Act, foreign ownership in the telecommunications sector is subject to a maximum equity limit of 80%.

There government owns shares in certain telecom companies. In particular, Nepal Telecom (NTC) or Nepal Doorsanchar Company Limited (NDCL), the incumbent telecommunications operator, is a state-owned company, with a government share up to 90%.

It is reported that there is no obligation for passive infrastructure sharing in Nepal to deliver telecom services to end users. However, it is practiced in the mobile sector and in the fixed sector based on commercial agreements.