Nepal: SIP providers and connecting a number to your PBX

This page continues the general guide to connecting a provider's number to your PBX, which covers what is the same in every country — the two trunk modes, what to ask your operator, what to enter in the provider form, how to test the connection and what your network must pass. Here — only what is specific to Nepal.

The data was collected on 10 September 2026 from operator websites, Nepal Telecom's official manuals and application forms, Ncell's tariffs and documents of the regulator NTA; the links are in the "Sources" section.

In brief#

• Nepal's landline numbering is held by a single operator — Nepal Telecom — and its business SIP product cannot be attached to a cloud PBX. The service FAQ says it plainly: "Nepal Telecom doesn't provide SIP PBX service via internet" — the handover runs only over the operator's own fibre to the customer's premises. On top of that, the service terms forbid extending or operating a SIP PBX or SIP Trunk outside Nepal "via VPN, Public IP, SIP phone" and forbid attaching any public network on the PBX or trunk side. Our PBX sits in a cloud abroad, so this combination fails on the contract, not on the technology.
• The only local product with publicly documented parameters is NT EasyPhone: a SIP account of the form 604XXXXX, registering to 202.70.74.178:5060, usable "from anywhere with internet access". But the application form limits it to an individual line — "retail (i.e. individual) purpose only", "single user only at one time" — so it is not a business trunk.
• The second candidate is Ncell Business "SIP IP-PABX": the only product in the country explicitly described as an "IP-PABX Trunk" with a DID, at 300 NPR activation and 300 NPR per month per DID. Not a single parameter is published, and the tariff includes Ncell's own 5 Mbit/s access link — so the first question for the account manager must be about a foreign static IP over the public internet.
• Internet service providers sell no numbers at all. Under the regulator's framework, ISP "Internet Telephony" is addressed with IP addresses, "but not the ITU's E.164 numbering scheme", and ISPs are "not allowed to terminate any packetized voice calls (VoIP calls) to PSTN or PLMN terminals" — neither a local number nor inbound calls from the telephone network.
• International aggregators barely carry Nepali DIDs. DIDWW's Nepal page states "Local SIP Trunking: Not available", Zadarma and didlogic have no Nepal pages at all, and Twilio does not publish Nepal in its regulatory guidelines. Realistically only a toll-free number with call forwarding is available.
• The numbering pitfall. A line is matched by the last seven digits, while a landline number here is eight digits and a mobile is ten: 01-5970123 and 061-5970123 produce the same tail and merge, as do the mobiles 984 123 4567 and 980 123 4567. One number per venue is safe; two or more means checking the tails by hand.

Numbers in the country#

The country code is +977, the international prefix is 00, and inside the country the area code is dialled with a leading 0 (numbers are written as 01-5970123). Under the national numbering plan a landline number is 8 digits: in the Kathmandu valley that is area code 1 plus an operator code plus 6 digits; outside the valley, a two-digit area code plus an operator code plus 5 digits. Operator codes 4, 5 and 6 belong to Nepal Telecom only — there is no other holder of landline capacity in the country.

• Local operators do not publish the form in which the number arrives in an inbound call. For EasyPhone the account login is written in E.164 with a plus (+977604XXXXX), so the call most likely arrives on the same string. On the first connection look at the SIP trace and create the line to match what actually arrives.
• No Nepali provider publishes its codecs — ask when ordering. We support G.711 a-law/u-law and G.722; a "G.729 only" trunk gives a healthy registration and silence in the handset.
• Emergency numbers are three-digit short codes that the regulator assigns to emergency services only: directories list 100 (police), 101 (fire), 102 (ambulance), 103 (traffic police) and 1144 (tourist police). They cannot be dialled through our PBX — keep an ordinary phone or a mobile on shift.

Who sells a number with a SIP trunk#

Below are cards for the three Nepal Telecom and Ncell products; the rest are listed under "Who else sells telephony in the country". The full list of questions for a sales manager is in "What to ask your provider".

Nepal Telecom — SIP PBX and SIP Trunk#

The state-owned operator Nepal Doorsanchar Company Ltd is the country's only holder of a basic telephony licence and of its landline numbering. SIP PBX is the corporate "many lines on one number" service (30–90 concurrent calls, available in all 77 districts); SIP Trunk covers the larger types, from 100 numbers and 60 sessions. The tariff is published: SIP PBX with 15 sessions costs 3,729 NPR per month including taxes, with a 500 NPR registration fee and a deposit from 10,000 NPR; SIP Trunk with 60 sessions and 100 DIDs costs 21,131 NPR per month.

Why it cannot be connected to our PBX. Two reasons, both from the operator's own documents:

1. The handover runs over NT's network only. "SIP PBX service is given via intranet service of Nepal Telecom… connected to end customer via fiber link through the nearest node", and the FAQ adds a separate line: "No, Nepal Telecom doesn't provide SIP PBX service via internet". From a foreign cloud there is no path to such a trunk even physically.
2. The contract bars taking the service out of the country. The service terms forbid the customer to extend and operate a SIP PBX or SIP Trunk outside Nepal by any means — "VPN, Public IP, SIP phone" — and to attach any public network on the PBX or trunk side. Our PBX is hosted in a foreign cloud, which is exactly that case.

When the service does fit. If the PBX stands in Nepal — on the venue's own premises or in a Nepali data centre (type V in the application form, "Data Center / Cloud PBX service provider"). That is not how we host today, but it is exactly how local cloud PBX providers work.

What to ask if you go to NT anyway: which service type (I–VII) and how many sessions; which number is assigned; whether hosting the SIP server with a third-party provider inside Nepal is allowed; how long the fibre build takes. The application is filed at the nearest NT office; questions go to Telecom Sundhara.

Sources: SIP PBX Service · SIP PBX Tariff · application form and service terms (PDF) — 10.09.2026.

Nepal Telecom — NT EasyPhone#

A retail SIP service from the same operator: a permanent number from the 604xxxxx range, calls across the country and abroad "from anywhere with internet access", free calls between EasyPhone accounts, and "Can be used from SIP devices". It is paid for with NT prepaid cards or through the eSewa and Khalti wallets. This is the only Nepali product whose parameters are officially published — in the operator's own manual.

What to enter in the admin panel (Telephony → "Trunks and connections" → "Add provider"):

What to set up with the provider: get the account at the NT Sundhara office (form, 50 NPR, a copy of citizenship or passport and a photo) → top up the balance with an NT card or a wallet → confirm how many concurrent calls the contract allows → ask about codecs: we need G.711 a-law/u-law or G.722.

Pitfalls ⚠️

• This is an individual line, not a trunk. The application form limits the service directly: "This service shall be used for retail (i.e. individual) purpose only" and "used by a single user only at one time". For a venue, EasyPhone is an experiment or the owner's personal line, not a working way to take guest calls.
• Registration goes to an address, not a domain. The operator publishes the proxy 202.70.74.178, while the name ims.ntc.net.np does not resolve externally. Our form has no separate "outbound proxy" and "authentication ID" fields, and the request domain is taken from the trunk address — so registration may fail to come up. Test with a live account right after entering the parameters, using "Test connection".
• The service is prepaid. At a zero balance the account is simply dropped from registration and inbound calls stop arriving, with no other sign of a fault.

Sources: Easy Phone Service · NT Easy Phone Manual (PDF) · application form (PDF) — 10.09.2026.

Ncell — SIP IP-PABX#

The country's second and last voice operator (after the third one lost its licence): a mobile network plus an international trunk telephony licence and more than 14 million subscribers. Its business section carries "SIP IP-PABX" — the only product in Nepal described as a trunk to a customer's system: "SIP Connections allow users to set SIP Trunks for Inbound and Outbound calling", "capability of clients IP-PABX system and Ncell IP-PABX connectivity", with scalable channels and per-minute billing.

The "IP_PABX CLASSIC PLAN — IP-PABX Trunk, 1 DID" tariff: 300 NPR activation, 300 NPR per month per DID (45 outbound minutes included), a 5 Mbit/s access link at 5,000 NPR one-off and 3,000 NPR per month; minutes at 1.64 NPR on-net and 2.05 NPR off-net including taxes.

What to enter in the admin panel:

What to set up with the provider: submit a "Request a call back" → in the very first conversation ask whether the trunk may be pointed over the public internet at a foreign static IP (the competing operator forbids this by contract) → confirm the transport, the authorisation mode and the codecs → hand over your PBX's static IP (the "Server" tab) → ask them to pass media to that address on UDP ports 10000–20000 → find out in which form the number arrives in the request and which range the DID comes from.

Pitfalls ⚠️

• The tariff includes the operator's own access link. A "5 Mbit/s link" line in a trunk price list suggests that, as with Nepal Telecom, the handover assumes an Ncell circuit to your premises. Until the manager confirms otherwise in writing, it is too early to plan a cloud PBX connection.
• Not a single published parameter. The host, mode, codecs and DID format arrive only with the provisioning order; plugging in "typical" values is pointless — the trunk will either not come up or will reject the call.
• It is unclear which number is issued as the DID. Landline capacity belongs to Nepal Telecom only, so confirm whether you will get a mobile or a toll-free number — that determines how guests will dial the venue.
• Regulatory backdrop. The operator's licence is in its final years and the regulator has restricted transactions with its assets — for a long-term number contract that is a risk of changing terms.

Sources: Ncell — SIP IP-PABX · Ncell — Toll Free — 10.09.2026.

Who else sells telephony in the country#

International providers with Nepali numbers#

Cards for the popular international providers already exist in the catalogue when adding a provider — the server address and mode are filled in automatically. The Nepali specifics:

• DIDWW states it plainly on its Nepal page: "Local SIP Trunking — Not available". Only international termination into +977 is offered — that is, outbound calls, not a number for receiving them.
• Twilio does not publish Nepal in its regulatory guidelines, and Zadarma and didlogic have no Nepal pages at all. Do not count on a Nepali number from these providers.
• Telnyx runs a "Buy Nepal virtual phone numbers" storefront, but the number type and price there are shown as depending on availability. The only way to check is a search inside your account.
• PBX.IM advertises SIP trunking and local numbers in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Lalitpur, plus toll-free and mobile numbers. Given that the country's landline capacity belongs to Nepal Telecom alone, ask the seller whose number this is and how it is routed — and confirm availability by ordering a specific number.
• United World Telecom sells toll-free only for Nepal, from $61.95 per month, with forwarding to your number or SIP address; KYC is mandatory and activation takes up to three months. This is forwarding, not a trunk: inbound calls arrive, there are no outbound calls from such a number, and the number holder pays for the minutes.
• Common to all of them. A +977 number at a foreign aggregator remains an international inbound line: a call from Kathmandu to it travels as an international call and is charged to the guest accordingly. Schemes that pass such traffic off as local are exactly what Nepal prosecutes as gateway bypass.

Number porting#

• There is no landline portability. A single operator holds the capacity, and the national numbering plan explicitly forbids trading numbers and transferring them directly between licensees. Changing provider means changing the number; changing a number within Nepal Telecom is done by application and is charged for.
• Mobile portability is stated as a goal of the new 2083 sector policy, but it had not launched as of 10.09.2026. It has no bearing on connecting a PBX.
• Relocating the SIP PBX service to another address requires the operator's prior consent; adding lines on your own is not allowed.
• A Nepali number cannot be taken to a foreign provider — porting exists only between licensees inside the country.

Rules and documents#

If it does not work#

1. A Nepal Telecom trunk does not come up from the cloud — and it will not. The service is delivered over the operator's fibre, "not via internet", and the contract forbids taking it out of the country. If you were promised otherwise, get it in writing before paying.
2. EasyPhone does not register. The operator publishes the proxy address 202.70.74.178, while the domain ims.ntc.net.np does not resolve externally, and our form has no separate fields for an outbound proxy and an authentication ID. Check that the login is the full E.164 form with a plus and that the password carries the _Ntc1 suffix; if registration still fails, that is a limitation of the scheme, not an input error.
3. Registration was up and then disappeared. EasyPhone is prepaid: at a zero balance the account is dropped from registration. Top up the balance and check the trunk status again.
4. Ncell: the trunk is ordered but calls do not arrive. Confirm that your public address is allowed in the provisioning order — the PBX address is static and shown on the "Server" tab — and that the trunk is not designed around an operator circuit to your premises.
5. The call connects but there is no audio. Nobody here publishes codecs: ask for G.711 and G.722. A "G.729 only" trunk looks healthy and delivers no sound. The second common cause is media not being allowed to our address.
6. A call to the second number is handled by the first number's scenario. A line is matched by the last seven digits while a landline number here is eight: 01-5970123 and 061-5970123 merge into one line. Split such numbers across different trunks, or route by trunk rather than by line.
7. Echo and delay in the conversation. Our regions are far from Kathmandu, and the latency adds up with the quality of the local link. Measure it on test calls before moving the venue's main number onto the PBX.

The remaining common causes are in the general section of the overview; checking the address and port is covered in "Test connection".

FAQ#

Which provider in Nepal should I approach first?#

Start the conversation with Ncell and its "SIP IP-PABX" product: it is the only local product described as a trunk to a customer's switch, and it has a published tariff (300 NPR activation and 300 NPR per month per DID). Make your very first question whether the trunk may run over the public internet to a foreign static IP. If the answer is no, no local option remains for a cloud PBX — then it is either hosting the switch in Nepal, or a toll-free number from an international reseller with call forwarding.

Why can't a Nepal Telecom number be connected to our PBX?#

For two reasons at once, both from the operator's documents. Technically, SIP PBX is delivered "via intranet service of Nepal Telecom", over fibre to the customer's premises, and the FAQ states outright that the operator does not provide the service via the internet. Legally, the service terms forbid extending a SIP PBX or SIP Trunk outside Nepal via VPN, a public IP or a SIP phone, and forbid attaching a public network on the switch side. Our PBX is hosted in a cloud abroad — exactly that case.

Is NT EasyPhone good enough for a venue?#

As a working setup, no. Its parameters really are public and it does support SIP devices, but the application form limits the service to retail — that is, personal — use by a single user at a time. On top of that, registration goes to a proxy address rather than a SIP domain, and our form may not bring that combination up without further work. For a trial or the owner's personal line it will do; for taking guest calls it will not.

Can I get a Nepali number without a company in Nepal?#

From local operators, effectively no: a corporate number is issued against legal-entity documents (registration, PAN or VAT, articles of association, a board decision). What remains is a toll-free number from an international reseller with forwarding to your PBX's SIP address: activation takes up to three months, KYC is mandatory, there will be no outbound calls from such a number, and you pay for the inbound minutes.

Can I put a GSM gateway with a SIM card next to the PBX?#

No. Bypassing international gateways via VoIP and GoIP has been held a crime by Nepal's Supreme Court, and operators block SIM cards spotted terminating such traffic. This is not a grey-area saving but a criminal risk for the venue and its management.

Do emergency calls work through such a number?#

No. The three-digit emergency codes (100, 101, 102 and others) are free services of the telecom operators; they cannot be dialled through our PBX and do not work at all through an international aggregator. Always keep an ordinary phone or a mobile on shift.

Sources#

All links checked on 10.09.2026.

Regulator and law

• Nepal Telecommunications Authority — list of licensees — https://nta.gov.np/license
• NTA — National Numbering Allocation Plan, 2079 (PDF) — https://nta.gov.np/uploads/contents/National%20Numbering%20Allocation%20Plan.pdf
• NTA — Consultation Paper for Fully Opening up of VoIP/Internet Telephony Services (the framework for internet service providers, PDF) — https://nta.gov.np/uploads/contents/Approved%20Consultation%20Paper%20for%20Fully%20Opening%20VoIP%20Services.pdf
• NTA — "Numbering" section: the plan, short codes and toll-free numbers — https://nta.gov.np/page/numbering
• NTA — procedure for managing short codes and toll-free numbers, 2077 — https://nta.gov.np/content/short-code-l-b-b-1

Operators and providers

• Nepal Telecom — SIP PBX Service (description and FAQ) — https://www.ntc.net.np/services/sip-pbx-service
• Nepal Telecom — SIP PBX Tariff — https://www.ntc.net.np/tariff/sip-pbx-tariff
• Nepal Telecom — SIP PBX / SIP Trunk application form and terms (PDF) — https://cms.ntc.net.np/storage/media/hRIdJsB671HOQH1EDIyLRTnonmvaQEiXImq1zaqB.pdf
• Nepal Telecom — Easy Phone Service — https://www.ntc.net.np/services/easy-phone-service
• Nepal Telecom — NT Easy Phone Manual, registration parameters (PDF) — https://cms.ntc.net.np/storage/media/SbzHaPFURNhmmeXoSmUFUbbMx11JLBjtwm0yDwsL.pdf
• Nepal Telecom — EasyPhone application form (PDF) — https://cms.ntc.net.np/storage/media/Q0SD0X5AMSXobgHQwDjXU60I1GPRoUbirRLPmNhY.pdf
• Ncell — SIP IP-PABX and its tariff plan — https://www.ncell.com.np/en/business/mobility-services/sip
• Ncell — Toll Free — https://www.ncell.com.np/en/business/solutions/connectivity/toll-free
• VoxCrow — a local cloud PBX — https://voxcrow.com/
• AakashTel — numbers and IVR — https://aakashtel.com/
• DIDWW — SIP Trunking in Nepal ("Local SIP Trunking: Not available") — https://www.didww.com/voice/global-sip-trunking/Nepal
• Telnyx — Buy Nepal virtual phone numbers — https://telnyx.com/phone-numbers/nepal
• PBX.IM — SIP Trunking Provider in Nepal — https://www.pbx.im/services/sip-trunking-provider/np
• United World Telecom — Nepal Virtual Phone Numbers — https://www.unitedworldtelecom.com/services/virtual-phone-numbers/nepal-virtual-phone-numbers/

Related pages#

• Connecting a provider's number to your PBX — the common steps, trunk modes, network and connection test.
• Setting up SIP phones — how to connect desk phones, DECT and gateways to extensions.