📋 Tender Overview
Project Number
48781
Company Name
WorldLink Communications Limited
Date ESRS Disclosed
Feb 21, 2025
Country
Nepal
Region
South Asia
Last Updated Date
Environmental Category
B
Status
Pending Approval
Sector
other
Industry
other
Department
CN4S2 - Regional Industry - INF Asia & Pac/INF Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal
Project Description
Worldlink Communications Limited, Nepal ( Worldlink or WCL or the Company ) is the leading Internet Service Provider ( ISP ) in Nepal since last 30 years (https://worldlink.com.np/). It operates one of the largest fiber backbone and access network across Nepal, serving 73 out of 77 districts providing services like high-speed internet up to 100Mbps along with High Definition (HD) Internet Protocol television (IPTV) and public Wi-Fi services. The Company is the market leader in fixed broadband segment in Nepal and has built the largest Fiber-to-the- Home ( FTTH ) network in the country. It has approximately one-third of the total subscriber base with 940,000+ retail broadband households and 10,000+ enterprise customers. Additionally, the Company plans to establish 8 Data Centers ( DCs ) across Nepal which will include 1 core DC and remaining edge DCs strategically located in various provinces of Nepal. Part of the proposed DCs capacity will be used for its own operations while the remaining capacity will be shared with third party. The DC projects are proposed to be housed separately in a wholly owned subsidiary of WCL, Data World Limited ( DWL ). IFC financing will be directed to WCL (for FTTH expansion) and DWL (for DC projects).
The proposed IFC investment of US$20 million will be exclusively used to: (i) establish 1 core DC in Matatirtha, Kathmandu and 7 edge DCs in different parts of Nepal; and (ii) support WCL’s network expansion plan of adding ~377,000 Fiber-to-the- Home ( FTTH ) ports/passes to connect 351,000 underserved customers in Nepal in the next 3-4 years ( Project ).
The Company has investment from British International Investment ( BII ) and Dolma Impact Fund ( Dolma , IFC investee fund-#44584 https://disclosures.ifc.org/project-detail/SII/44854/dolma-ii-project, with 3% shareholding) as institutional shareholders.
ISP linked FTTH operations, include branch offices, regional offices, warehouse, point-of-presence (POP) stations. ISP FTTH operations are handled by 7 regional offices and around 170 branches across Nepal. Each branch has multiple un-manned POP where two or more networks or communication devices build a connection from one place to the rest of the internet. WCL operations include 6 warehouses; 1 is located near to dry port while 5 are regional warehouses).
The construction for the Matatirtha DC (core DC) was started in 2022 and is expected to be completed by May 2025. The other DCs (Edge DCs) will be developed at Duhabi, Bharatpur, Leknath (Pokhara), Damak, Dhalkebar, Attariya, and Kohalpur. DWL component overall will have a three-phase development. Th
