ICT access and use in Nepal and the Global South

ICT access and use in Nepal and the Global South
Rohan Samarajiva with AfterAccess Team 17 February 2019 Pokhara, Nepal

AfterAccess: Nationally representative surveys of ICT access and use by households & individuals aged across Global South Rigorous sampling method, comparable across countries Predominantly common questionnaire with local customization Structured, closed-ended responses administered face-to-face using mobile devices User-based (rather than subscription-based) data allowing for disaggregation by urban-rural, gender, SEC, age, etc. Asian countries by LIRNEasia. Africa by Research ICT Africa. Latin America by DIRSI Funded by IDRC (Canada), SIDA (Sweden) and Ford Foundation Nepal partners: fieldwork - Nielsen Nepal; dissemination, back-check calls, translation checking - Center for Law and Technology and Internet Society

To date 18 countries (covering >30% global population); 38,005 face-to-face interviews; +/-3 margin of error; 22 countries by Dec 2018 Sample sizes Not shown in slides today: Sri Lanka, Senegal, Uganda & Ecuador Surveys just completed/surveys about to start/data being analyzed Watch or Notes: Pakistan excludes AJK, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan (~2% of population) Sri Lanka data expected by December 2018

2,000 individuals from 2,000 households in
Nepal sample representative of population (95% Confidence Interval; +/-3.3 margin of error) Sample designed to be representative of population at: National level Urban-rural level Men vs Women SEC (Socio-economic classification : a proxy for income) The sample is not designed to represent at: Province level EDR level other 2,000 individuals from 2,000 households in 100 wards Sample GPS locations recorded by CAPI device at time of survey

Sample size of 2,000 adequate to represent population at desired levels of disaggregation
Sample size calculation Desired level of accuracy set to a confidence level of 95% and an absolute precision (relative margin of error) of 5%. The population proportion p was set conservatively to 0.5 which yields the largest sample size (Lwanga & Lemeshow, 1991). The minimum sample size per tabulation group determined by (Rea & Parker, 1997): Z = Z value (e.g for 95% confidence level) p = percentage picking a choice C = confidence interval, expressed as decimal (e.g., .05 = ±5) Weighting Two weights constructed: for households and individuals, based on inverse selection probabilities  data can be extrapolated to national level. Default value of 1.5 was used as the design effect for Nepal. Actual sample size was increased beyond minimum requirement to compensate for clustering effects allow for urban/rural disaggregation of data, as well as gender-based disaggregation. Therefore, in Nepal the sample size was increased to 2,000.

This survey in Nepal uses the recent re-classification of urban-rural by the CBS. Makes triangulation/comparison with past data difficult, even at national level 2011 2017 460 Gaunpalikas classified as Rural 3,901 VCDs classified as Rural VDCs were converted to Gaunpalikas. There are 753 local units (Gaunpalikas and Municipalities) in Nepal Nepal was divided in to 3,973 VDCs/Municipalities. 293 Municipalities (Including metropolitan and sub- metropolitan cities) classified as Urban 72 Municipalities classified as Urban AfterAccess sample was designed based on the 2017 new urban-rural classification of wards Source

Apples vs oranges: A note on comparison of AfterAccess data with supply-side
Supply side data as reported via operators/NTA Demand side (household and individual survey we report) Implication Counts active SIMs Includes individual AND corporate users Includes SIMs inside devices (e.g. POS) Counts USERs with one or more SIM cards Does not count corporate connections Does not count SIMs in other devices Demand side data more accurate reflection of individuals and households who have access (Counts multi-SIM owners as ONE user) Avoids inaccuracies with problematic SIM registrations Demand side result WILL be lower Includes SIMs used by all users, without age restriction Our survey only targeted those aged (66% of the population in Nepal) Below 14 or Over 66 years persons are not counted. Demand side estimate WILL be lower.

CONNECTIVITY and DEVICE OWNERSHIP

72% of Nepalese aged 15-65 have a mobile phone of some type
72% of Nepalese aged have a mobile phone of some type. Negligible computer ownership Q1: Do you own a mobile phone? Q2: How many active SIM cards do you have, (SIM cards that you used in last 30 days)? Q3: Do you own a personal Desktop computer or Laptop? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique All respondents 1,240 1,425 1,610 1,478 1,357 1,407 5,069 1,706 2,002 1,145 7,204 2,020 2,123 1,179 1,102 2,008 1,118 1,091

Lower ownership among rural Nepalese: Rural dwellers 15% less likely to own a mobile compared to urban Urban rural gap in ownership (%) Urban mobile phone owners (% of urban population) Rural mobile phone owners (% of rural population) Urban mobile phone owners (% of urban population) = ⎻ Low Rural base for Argentina Q: Do you own a mobile phone? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Urban Rural All respondents 1,208 32* 986 439 1,050 765 1,178 300 824 533 550 857 2,200 2,869 1,147 661 793 1,209 721 479 3,477 3,727 808 1,212 897 1,226 727 481 720 480 940 538 711 500 718 453

How we calculate the gaps
Urban-rural gap in ownership (%) Urban mobile phone owners (% of urban population) Rural mobile phone owners (% of rural population) Urban mobile phone owners (% of urban population) = ⎻  How much less likely a rural dweller is to own a mobile than an urban one Same logic applied to gender gap, income group gap, etc.

Gender gap in Nepal is the lowest in Asian study countries; Still, women in Nepal 19% less likely to own a mobile than men Gender gap in ownership (%) Male phone owners (% of male population) Female phone owners (% of female population) Male phone owners (% of male population) = ⎻ Q: Do you own a mobile phone? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Male Female All respondents 478 762 487 938 795 1,020 508 970 879 656 751 2,478 2,591 912 896 1,060 942 547 653 3,818 3,386 1,092 928 735 1,388 544 664 531 669 1,096 556 655 527 644

Very low gap in phone ownership between high and low income earners in Nepal; lowest in study countries Income gap in ownership (%) Above average income phone owners(%) Below average income phone owners(%) Above average income phone owners (%) = Q: Do you own a mobile phone? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Rwanda Mozambique All respondents 1,240 1,425 1,610 1,478 1,357 1,407 5,069 1,706 2,002 1,145 2,020 2,123 1,179 1,102 1,118 1,091

In Nepal more than 60% of the zero income earners own a mobile phone
Who are the zero-income earners (among mobile phone owners)? 65% live in Urban areas 69% are women 53% have secondary or higher education 40% are years old Q: Do you own a mobile phone? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique All respondents 1,240 1,425 1,610 1,478 1,357 1,407 5,069 1,706 2,002 1,145 7,204 2,020 2,123 1,179 1,102 2,008 1,118 1,091

52% of phone owners use a smart phone as the primary device – highest in the region. But 40% still have basic phones (that are not internet enabled). Bangladesh - Supply side data puts smartphone penetration at 23.2% for end of m smartphone users by end of Our number is a bit higher, possibly cos of the population base being 15-65, where smartphone use is likely to be higher than the general population. As of mid-2018, india has had the highest growth in smartphone market in the world. Of course, this is all supply side data! Issues of network qulaity are cited as challenges to the use of smartphones. Penetration expected to grow further with cheaper data and cheaper smartphones available (eg. The Jio phone, which is feature-phone like with some smartphone features –kind of a hybrid apparently) Q: What type of mobile is it? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Mobile phone owners 1,116 1,297 1,398 1,234 1,209 1,214 3,252 1,123 1,208 901 1,531 1,526 1,054 761 1,478 635 632

Smartphone very popular among younger Nepalese.
Q: What type of mobile is it? Base Nepal Mobile phone owners 1,478

Relatively more smartphones with urban males; Relatively more basic phones with rural females
Nepal Q: What type of mobile is it? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Mobile phone owners 1,116 1,297 1,398 1,234 1,209 1,214 3,252 1,123 1,208 901 1,531 1,526 1,054 761 1,478 635 632

Lack of need is main reason for not owning a smartphone; 30% cite affordability as a barrier; 20% don’t know how to use one Q: Please tell me the primary reason why you have chosen not to obtain a smartphone or touch phone handset? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Non-smartphone owners 246 433 633 476 456 537 2378 20 872 1186 595 780 646 513 701 506 448

Mostly rural, women, low income and zero income earners
27% of got connected to mobile networks in last 3 years; 51% in the last 5 years Country Number of years since first ever mobile connection (% of aged mobile phone owners) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15+ Argentina 4% 3% 7% 6% 23% 2% 9% 15% Colombia 11% 10% 5% 1% South Africa 30% Peru 8% 13% Paraguay 12% Guatemala 0% India 14% Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda 18% Mozambique Mostly rural, women, low income and zero income earners Q: When did you get your first ever mobile connection (i.e., working handset and SIM card)? [record year] (converted to time since) Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Mobile phone owners 1,116 1,297 1,398 1,234 1,209 1,214 3,252 1,123 1,208 901 1,531 1,526 1,054 761 1,478 635 632

28% of Nepalese aged 15-65 mobile owners have more than 1 SIM
Slightly skewed towards smart phone owners, urban, men, high income earners and below 25 years Number of SIM cards (% of aged mobile phone owners) 1 2 3 4 5 6+ Argentina 93% 6% 1% 0% Colombia 79% 20% South Africa 80% 18% 2% Peru 83% 13% 3% Paraguay 89% 9% Guatemala 87% 12% India 74% 23% Nigeria 48% 42% 7% Pakistan 77% 19% Ghana 57% 38% Myanmar 73% 25% Bangladesh 66% 30% Cambodia 71% 26% Kenya Tanzania 59% 36% 4% Nepal 72% 28% 0.3% Rwanda 58% 37% 5% Mozambique 76% 21% Q: How many active SIM cards do you have (SIM cards that you used in last 30 days)? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Mobile phone owners 1,116 1,297 1,398 1,234 1,209 1,214 3,252 1,123 1,208 901 1,531 1,526 1,054 761 1478 635 632

INTERNET

Only 46% of Nepalese 15-65 know of/have heard of the Internet
Q1: Do you know what the Internet is? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique All respondents 1,240 1,425 1,610 1,478 1,357 1,407 5,069 1,706 2,002 1,145 7,204 2,020 2,123 1,179 1,102 2,008 1,118 1,091

Internet awareness (% of aged 15-65 population)
Awareness low among rural, female, less educated, lower income, basic phone owners and among older people Nepal Internet awareness (% of aged population) Q: Do you know what the Internet is? Base Nepal All respondents 2,008

Internet awareness and use among Nepalese high compared to other Asian study countries
Q1: Do you know what the Internet is? Q2: Have you ever used the Internet (Gmail, Google, Facebook, )? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique All respondents 1,240 1,425 1,610 1,478 1,357 1,407 5,069 1,706 2,002 1,145 7,204 2,020 2,123 1,179 1,102 2,008 1,118 1,091

Smartphone owners are the highest users of the Internet
Q: Have you ever used the Internet (Gmail, Google, Facebook, )? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique All respondents 1,240 1,425 1,610 1,478 1,357 1,407 5,069 1,706 2,002 1,145 7,204 2,020 2,123 1,179 1,102 2,008 1,118 1,091

Internet use ≈ Social media use
Q1: Have you ever used the Internet (Gmail, Google, Facebook, )? Q2: Do you use social media like Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter etc? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique All respondents 1,240 1,425 1,610 1,478 1,357 1,407 5,069 1,706 2,002 1,145 7,204 2,020 2,123 1,179 1,102 2,008 1,118 1,091

Gender divide in Internet use is 33% in Nepal
Gender gap in Internet use (%) Male internet users (% of male population) Female internet users (% of female population) Male internet users (% of male population) = ⎻ Q: Have you ever used the Internet (Gmail, Google, Facebook, )? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Male Female All respondents 478 762 487 938 795 1,020 508 970 879 656 751 2,478 2,591 912 896 1,060 942 547 653 3,818 3,386 1,092 928 735 1,388 544 664 531 669 1,096 556 655 527 644

Rural dwellers 32% less likely to be online compared to urban
Urban rural gap in Internet usage (%) Urban Internet users (% of urban population) Rural Internet users (% of rural population) Urban Internet users (% of urban population) = ⎻ Q: Have you ever used the Internet (Gmail, Google, Facebook, )? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Urban Rural All respondents 1,208 32* 986 439 1,050 765 1,178 300 824 533 550 857 2,200 2,869 1,147 661 793 1,209 721 479 3,477 3,727 808 1,212 897 1,226 727 481 720 480 940 538 711 500 718 453

Significant difference in Internet use between high educated among less educated in Nepal
Education gap in Internet use (%) Internet users among users with secondary or higher education (%) Internet users among users with primary or no education (%) = = Secondary or higher education Primary or no education Q: Have you ever used the Internet (Gmail, Google, Facebook, )? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique All respondents 1,240 1,425 1,610 1,478 1,357 1,407 5,069 1,706 2,002 1,145 7,204 2,020 2,123 1,179 1,102 2,008 1,118 1,091

In Nepal, high income earners use the Internet most
Who are the zero-income earners (among internet users)? 70% live in rural areas 61% are female 82% have secondary or higher education 59% are years old Q: Have you ever used the Internet (Gmail, Google, Facebook, )? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique All respondents 1,240 1,425 1,610 1,478 1,357 1,407 5,069 1,706 2,002 1,145 7,204 2,020 2,123 1,179 1,102 2,008 1,118 1,091

22% of Internet users in Nepal, came online less than a year before survey
Q: For how many years have you been using the internet? (1 also for less than a year) Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Internet users 1,006 1,192 829 1,120 886 1,104 919 537 427 311 266 804 440 692 172 238

What limits more use among current users
What limits more use among current users? Data cost, followed by lack of time and poor Internet speed Q: What is your main limitation for your use of the internet? (Single response question) Basec India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Nepal Internet users 919 529 427 311 266 804 440 692

WHAT DO USERS DO WHEN ONLINE?

App use among Nepalese with Internet-enabled mobiles higher than in neighboring countries; 77%
Q: Are you using these types of mobile apps on your phone? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Rwanda Nepal Mozambique Feature or smartphone owners 982 1,020 1,552 972 809 846 1,397 795 571 458 936 878 1,074 789 660 903 667

App use (% of aged 15-65 feature or smartphone owners)
70% smart/feature phone owners use social media & messaging/texting apps; Significant use of VOIP apps too App use (% of aged feature or smartphone owners) Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Social networking apps (Such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Linkedin, line) 95% 94% 52% 82% 88% 87% 48% 25% 68% 19% 71% 30% 22% 70% 12% 20% Messaging or chat (text) apps (Whatsapp, Skype, Viber, Line, Talkray, Telegram, Facebook messenger) 89% 86% 45% 77% 90% 78% 46% 43% 64% 50% 26% 17% 67% 16% 28% Voice apps (Whatsapp, Skype, Viber, Line, Talkray) for voice 42% 24% 27% 41% Entertainment apps (movie trailers, celebrity gossip, radio station guides,) 44% 37% 13% 40% 51% 38% News apps (local news, national headlines, technology announcements, sport) 49% 60% 33% 8% 36% 15% Game apps (puzzles, charades, etc.) 32% 31% 18% 34% 9% Educational applications (dictionary, learning tools) 39% 55% 10% 53% 29% 7% 14% Search tool apps (Maps, directions, phone numbers, recipes, etc.) 56% 47% 23% Weather apps (local forecasts, natural disaster updates) 57% 11% 3% 4% 2% Business apps (calculate, convert, translate, etc.) 21% Trading or E-commerce apps (selling and buying online e.g. ebay) 6% 5% Transport apps (public transportation info, taxis, Uber) 35% 1% Payment gateway apps (e.g. PayPal) Q: Are you using these types of mobile apps on your phone? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Rwanda Nepal Mozambique Feature or smartphone owners 982 1,020 1,552 972 809 846 1,397 795 571 458 936 878 1,074 789 660 903 667

High gender and urban-rural gaps in social media use in Nepal
Q: Do you use social media like Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter etc? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique All respondents 1,240 1,425 1,610 1,478 1,357 1,407 5,069 1,706 2,002 1,145 7,204 2,020 2,123 1,179 1,102 2,008 1,118 1,091

NEPAL BBQoSE

Over 24,000 speed tests across Nepl show that broadband speeds are poor; Rural areas are significantly worse off than urban. Nepal test locations Data from 24,515 records in Nepal (8,731 rural, 15,784 urban) Note: The survey teams carried phones with SIM cards from all operators; At least one reading was taken in each ward/primary sampling unit; often more than one reading was taken

Performance improvements visible on newer technologies, but even on 4G / LTE latency is still high
Lower the better Average latency: 385 ms, Average download speed: 3.08 Mbps, Average upload speed: 1.66 Mbps Lower the better Average latency: 247 ms, Average download speed: 6.83 Mbps, Average upload speed: 2.88 Mbps Benchmarks from IMDA Singapore 300 ms for an International server, 100 ms on 4G / LTE

NON INTERNET USERS

Why are people not using the Internet
Why are people not using the Internet? 67% of non-users in Nepal don’t know what the Internet is; 10% don’t know how to; 11% have no interest/find it useful Q: What is the main reason why you do not use the Internet? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Non-Internet users 192 248 317 391 536 484 4,150 1,177 1,575 837 1,754 1,320 741 319 1,316 151

More women, the less educated and the old people don’t know what the internet is
Nepal Main reasons for not using the Internet (% of non-Internet users aged 15-65) - I don’t know what internet is Q: What is the main reason why you do not use the Internet? Base Nepal Non-Internet users 1,316

ONLINE EXPERIENCE and RIGHTS

Only 4% of Internet or social media users in Nepal have experienced some form of online harassment
Q1: Being called offensive names Q2: Being purposefully embarrassed or criticized in another way (besides being called offensive names) Q3: Being physically threatened Q4: Being sexually harassed Q5: Being approached repeatedly by unwanted contacts (cyber-stalked) Base India Pakistan Bangladesh Cambodia Nepal Internet users 919 427 266 804 713

Users confronted by “unwanted” material (not necessarily all illegal) in all countries. Minimal incidence in Nepal Q: While using social media were you ever confronted with unwanted offensive or inappropriate material (e.g. sexual content)? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Social media users 993 1,246 669 999 802 878 754 496 369 323 251 680 423 241 648 156 230

Incidence of online bullying is lowest in Nepal
Q: Have You Ever Been A Victim Of On-Line Bullying (repeated offensive comments or s)? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Social media users 993 1,246 669 999 802 878 754 496 369 323 251 680 423 241 648 156 230

2% of Internet or social media users in Nepal have being victim of cyber crime;
Q:To your knowledge have any of your devices or accounts ever been taken over by someone else, either through the internet or in person? (That is, someone else has logged in as you and taken control of your device/account without your knowledge?) Basec Nepal Internet users 713

SOCIAL MEDIA BEHAVIOR

Nepali social media users more will (than neighboring countries) to share their gender and pictures on SM; but less willing to share their sexual orientation Q: What information do you share on social media ? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Social media users 993 1,246 669 999 802 878 754 496 369 323 251 680 423 241 648 156 230

59% of the Nepali social media users trust the news they read on Social media : highest level of trust among countries studied Q: Can you/do you trust the news you read on Social Media (Facebook etc)? Base South Africa India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Mozambique Social media users 669 754 496 369 323 251 680 423 241 648 230

42% of Nepali social media users share content if it from a trusted friend/ source; About the same number don’t share; only 17% check for it’s truthfulness Q: When you share news that is on your newsfeed or forward messages that you receive, do you: Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Social media users 993 1,246 669 999 802 878 754 496 369 323 251 680 423 241 648 156 230

PUBLIC Wi-Fi USAGE

Only 12% of Internet users in Nepal use free public Wi-Fi; 16% use paid WiFi; Overall 46% of people use Wi-Fi Q: Do you access the Internet through Public WIFI through the following means? Base India Pakistan Bangladesh Cambodia Nepal Internet users 919 427 266 804 692

MOBILE EXPENDITURE

Demand side data shows higher market concentration among the big two, compared to NTA published data
Nepal % of users of each network operator (% of aged mobile phone owners) AfterAccess survey: Primary SIM card of mobile owners aged 15-65 NTA: Subscribers as at end of end of June 2018 Ncell 57% 42% NTC 51% Smart cell 2% 5% Other 0.3% Others- HELLO NEPAL, CGS/STM, UTL Source: Q: What is the name of your main operator (SIM card you use most often) Base: Mobile phone users (1,478)

Expenditure per user 494 NPR 
Who spends the most on data? the urban, men, high income earners, smartphone owners and the young Nepal Expenditure per user 494 NPR  (Prepaid ARPU 491 NPR) Q: In terms of mobile phone expenditure: Could you tell me how much you spent last MONTH for VOICE, SMS and Data in total (airtime, subscription)? Q: In terms of mobile phone expenditure, Could you tell me how much you spent last MONTH on Data only ( dedicated top-up or data bundles e.g.) (=0 if does not use mobile phones) Base South Africa India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Rwanda Mozambique Mobile phone owners 1,398 3,252 1,123 1,208 901 1,531 1,526 1,054 761 635 632

BANKING AND MOBILE MONEY

31% of the aged 15-65 population have their own bank account
Q1:Do you have access to a bank account? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Myanmar Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique All respondents 1,240 1,425 1,610 1,478 1,357 1,407 5,069 1,706 2,002 1,145 7,204 2,020 2,123 1,179 1,102 2,008 1,118 1,091

Low use of mobile financial services among Nepali mobile phone owners
Q: Do you ever use mobile phone for financial transactions: to send or receive money? Multiple mobile payment providers in Nepal, including IPAY, IMEPay, eSewa, Npay, Khalti Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Nepal Rwanda Mozambique Mobile phone owners 1,116 1,297 1,398 1,234 1,209 1,214 3,252 1,123 1,208 901 1,531 1,526 1,054 761 1,478 635 632

E-COMMERCE: ARE PEOPLE BUYING

Very low awareness of platforms in Nepal – lowest among S Asian countries studied
“platforms” = via internet or apps Q1: Have you heard of these opportunities to buy/sell goods or services over the internet or apps as just defined? Base India Pakistan Bangladesh Cambodia Nepal Internet users 919 427 266 804 692

Very low use among the people who are aware of the platforms
Base : Internet users who are aware of the Platforms India Pakistan Bangladesh Cambodia Nepal Goods/products (Amazon, Aliexpress, ebay) 430 56 70 276 152 Transport/ taxi services (Uber,) 396 146 59 259 81 Tickets and appointments (movie/railway/ doctor appointments) 409 20 185 135 Accommodation (AirBnB) 265 16 32 209 136 Microwork/freelance (Upwork, Fiverr) 202 7 43 288 54 Hired help 258 13 40 355 86 Q: Have you ever bought any of the following goods or services through the Internet or apps?

Lack of knowledge and lack of need are the key reasons for non use
Q: What is the primary reason you don’t buy goods/services through the Internet or mobile apps? Base India Pakistan Bangladesh Cambodia Nepal Respondent who are aware of platforms but not using them 586 302 227 421 158

E-COMMERCE: ARE PEOPLE MAKING MONEY SELLING GOODS AND SERVICES?

Very low use of platforms to sell
Low base for PK & BD Base : Internet users who are aware of the Platforms India Pakistan Bangladesh Cambodia Nepal Transport/ taxi services (Uber,) 396 146 59 259 154 Goods/products (Amazon, Aliexpress, ebay) 430 56 70 276 159 Hired help 258 13 40 355 141 Accommodation (AirBnB) 265 16 32 209 88 Tickets and appointments (movie/railway/ doctor appointments) 410 20 185 139 Microwork/freelance (Upwork, Fiverr) 202 7 43 288 55 Q: Have you ever sold any goods or services through the internet or apps?

Lack of relevance and skills are barriers to greater service uptake
Low base for BD & KH Q: What is the primary reason you don’t buy goods/services through the internet or mobile apps? Base India Bangladesh Cambodia Nepal Platform users who aren’t sell through platforms 356 80 506 157

Only 1% (i.e. around 15,000 people) aged Internet users used a platform to sell labor & earn income (digital work, microwork) Q: Some people find paid jobs or tasks by connecting directly with people who want to hire them using a website or mobile app. In the last year, have you earned money by taking on jobs of this type? Base Argentina Colombia South Africa Peru Paraguay Guatemala India Nigeria Pakistan Ghana Bangladesh Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Rwanda Mozambique Internet users 1,006 1,192 829 1,120 886 1,104 919 537 427 311 266 804 440 172 238

CONCLUSIONS

Some implied needs Demand stimulation (only 34% of target population use Internet) Increased awareness and salience raising (Only 46% of the target population aware of the internet) Low data quality in rural areas (Download and upload speed measures poor in rural) Increase affordability of smart phones (29% of those who don’t own a smartphone cite affordability as main barrier to ownership) Increase affordability of data (30% of current internet users would use the Internet more if data cost were more affordable) Increase digital literacy (20% of those who don’t own a smartphone cite lack of skill as main barrier to ownership; 10% of non-users of Internet say main reason for non- use is not knowing how to use)

What could be done Literacy - Start young. integrate digital literacy and ethics into school curriculum Demand stimulation: Use various schemes. E.g. Financial incentives for online applications for eGov services (invest in face-to face or counter service in targeted areas where Internet penetration and/or digital literacy is low). Affordability: Market driven, market non-distorting, time-limited public WiFi programs; Provision of vouchers, daily data allowances through licensed players who already serve consumers Affordability: Balance policy objectives: between revenue generation vs economic stimulation from Internet growth and use Tax burden (various fees) combined with high competition  incentive for investment in rural areas or in 5G ? Reduce sector specific taxes imposed on the telecom/ICT sector Access device: Get rid of the basic (non-Internet capable) phones Phone recycling programs with discount coupon? Other? Reduce taxes on mobile phones Qulity of Service of Mobile Broadband: Increase competition in backhaul and international connectivity to lower price, therey enabling sufficient provision Funding mechanisms and implementation: USO (RTDF etc.) funds and who gets to efficiently disburse funds

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ICT access and use in Nepal and the Global South

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