Nepal’s government needs to invest way more in basic tech/digital literacy education not just infrastructure

Like… no. Mobile generations have rolled out roughly once every decade globally since 1G in 1980 - 2G (‘91), 3G (‘01), 4G (‘09), 5G (‘19). We’re still in the 5G era worldwide. 6G isn’t even expected until around 2030. The idea that “10G” is a decade away isn’t just wrong, it’s not even a real thing yet. Nepal rolling out 5G right now is actually on pace with global timelines, not behind.

But here’s the thing I’m not even mad at the person. I’m more frustrated that this is how casually confident people are about tech they don’t understand, and it happens constantly, not just about internet generations. Basic digital literacy in this country is genuinely low, and it’s not really anyone’s individual fault it’s an education gap.

If the government is already planning 10year infrastructure roadmaps (fiber, 5G rollout, digital Nepal initiatives, etc.), that same energy and budget needs to go into basic technology education starting from school level. Not just “how to use a smartphone” but actual understanding of how these systems work, digital rights, cybersecurity basics, misinformation literacy the stuff that lets people actually participate in a digital economy instead of just consuming it.

We can have all the towers and fiber cables in the world, but if people don’t understand the tech they’re using, we’re just building infrastructure for a population that can’t fully use or critically engage with it. Feels like a massive missed opportunity in every 10year plan I’ve seen so far.

Curious what others think is digital literacy actually part of any current government education reform, or is it still an afterthought?