TechPana Investigation Finds Ncell Deducting Balance Despite Mobile Data Being Off; NTA Says Action Will Be Taken if Violations Are Confirmed

Kathmandu. A TechPana investigation has found that private telecom operator Ncell has been continuously deducting money from customers' main balance under the name of mobile data usage even when mobile data is switched off and users are connected to Wi-Fi.

According to the investigation, the issue has been occurring for more than nine months, with the company allegedly deducting Rs 1.27 at a time without notifying customers. Because each deduction is small, most users have reportedly remained unaware of the charges.

The issue came to light after TechPana reader Bibek Gupta submitted evidence via email, alleging that Ncell's system was repeatedly deducting money from customers' balances despite no mobile data usage.

Under Ncell's Pay As You Go (PAYG) service, which is automatically activated when customers purchase a SIM card, users without an active data pack are charged Rs 1.27 per MB of mobile data consumed. However, TechPana’s investigation found customers being charged the same amount even when mobile data was completely disabled and they were connected to Wi-Fi or another mobile network.

Technical Test and Irrefutable Evidence by TechPana

Following the complaints, we conducted technical tests and a detailed analysis of call detail records (CDRs).

According to the publication, testing during the final week of July found that one Ncell number had RS 1.27 deducted eight separate times without any apparent reason. On July 24 alone, the same number reportedly recorded five such deductions.

TechPana also reviewed call detail records covering the past year and said the evidence suggests the deductions began as early as October 17, 2025.

On one number examined during the investigation, the publication found that the balance had been deducted 40 times, including 12 deductions in March 2026 alone.

The report further states that on March 29, 2026, the customer's call details showed 0.00 MB of data usage at multiple times—01:05, 03:21, 04:50, 06:26, 07:55, 09:51, 11:22, and 14:59—yet Rs 1.27 was deducted on each occasion.

According to TechPana, despite the mobile device having data turned off and recording 0.00 MB of data usage, the repeated charges indicate either a serious flaw in Ncell's billing system or possible wrongful charging.

Affected Customers Say Deductions Have Continued Since Purchasing Their SIM Cards

Milan Karki of Morang said he also experienced repeated deductions despite not using mobile data.

According to Karki, his Ncell number was charged 29 times during April, totaling Rs 36.83, while the highest number of deductions occurred in May, when 17 separate deductions were recorded.

Another affected customer, Bibek Gupta, claimed that when he first contacted Ncell's customer service regarding the issue, the company blamed the customer rather than acknowledging any fault.

However, after repeatedly submitting complaints along with evidence, Gupta said Ncell refunded the amount deducted after approximately three months.

"This balance deduction has been happening since the day I bought the SIM," Gupta said. "Now that the mobile app only allows users to view statements for one year, will the company refund the balance deducted over the past 10 years?"

TechPana stated that similar deductions have been reported by users even when they had no active Ncell data package, were using mobile data from another SIM card such as Nepal Telecom, and were connected to Wi-Fi.

The publication advised customers to verify whether they have been affected by opening the Ncell app, accessing Call Details, downloading at least one month's statement, and reviewing the Internet section for unexplained deductions.

Customers Raise Similar Complaints on Facebook

A user identified as Narayan Adhikari claimed he never enabled mobile data and was using Wi-Fi to connect his laptop, yet his account still showed mobile data consumption.

He said the issue occurred repeatedly rather than being an isolated incident and demanded a clear explanation from the company, warning that he could pursue legal action if the issue is not resolved.

Responding to Adhikari's post, Bijay Kumar Nepal said he rarely uses his Ncell SIM and does not use mobile data.

He claimed that after noticing his balance gradually decreasing about a week earlier, customer service informed him the deductions were due to mobile data usage.

Nepal said he disputed the claim, insisting he had not used mobile data, after which the deducted amount was refunded within a few days.

He expressed concern that many customers who are unaware of such deductions may also be affected and urged others to remain vigilant.

Another Facebook user, R.B. Yadav, also questioned why his balance was being deducted daily as internet charges despite never turning on Ncell mobile data.

These examples represent only a fraction of the complaints, noting that hundreds of users have posted similar allegations on Ncell's Facebook page.

Ncell's Earlier Claims and the Current Contradictions

TechPana noted that Ncell has previously announced several initiatives intended to prevent unwanted balance deductions.

On May 15, 2024, the company introduced its Always On plans, describing them as a solution to customers' concerns over unexpected balance depletion. The plans included eight packages grouped into Basic, Best, and Unlimited categories.

Similarly, on April 9, 2026, Ncell reminded customers that it had been offering a feature for the previous two years allowing users to control the Pay As You Go service.

According to the company, customers can deactivate PAYG by dialing *9005*5#, preventing automatic deductions from their main balance once a data pack is exhausted.

However, the reported deductions occurring even when mobile data is completely turned off raise serious questions about both the effectiveness of these balance protection measures and Ncell's billing system.

Official Response From Ncell Still Awaited

TechPana has sent detailed questions to Ncell via email seeking the company's official response.

We raised questions regarding why customers were being charged Rs 1.27 under PAYG, how such deductions could occur while mobile data was disabled and users were connected to Wi-Fi or another network, whether the company was aware of the issue, how many complaints it had received, what its refund policy would be if errors were confirmed, and what corrective measures were being taken.

As of the publication of the report, Ncell had not provided an official response.

NTA Says Investigation, Action and Compensation Will Follow if Violations Are Confirmed

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) said it has taken note of the issue.

NTA spokesperson Min Prasad Aryal said the regulator will investigate any complaints it receives and take necessary action if violations are established.

"There is also a system for submitting complaints via email," Aryal said. "We will call both parties, conduct an investigation, and determine any necessary action and compensation. Even if the amount involved is small, anyone who believes they have been treated unfairly should file a complaint because this is also a matter of principle."

Millions of Customers Could Potentially Be Affected

TechPana concluded that despite Ncell promoting balance protection features over the past two years, millions of customers may have been unknowingly subjected to repeated balance deductions.

The publication further suggested there is a possibility that small deductions collected from a large number of customers could amount to significant revenue if the practice is widespread.

According to the latest data from the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, Ncell has more than 12.411 million 3G and 4G subscribers. TechPana estimates that if just 10 percent of those customers were charged Rs 1.27 an average of five times per month, the total deductions could amount to around Rs 100 million over a 10-month period.

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