Internet Service Providers in Nepal face a dynamic and competitive broadband landscape. With internet penetration expanding rapidly across the Kathmandu valley, Pokhara, Terai, and hilly districts, digital wallet payments have surpassed cash collection as the primary billing channel. Today, subscribers expect instant, 24/7 invoice renewal through eSewa, Khalti, and ConnectIPS directly from their smartphones.
For Nepali operators, manual payment verification via bank statements or voucher uploads creates administrative bottlenecks, delays customer reconnection, and increases billing team overhead. This guide details how to implement fully automated ISP billing in Nepal with eSewa, Khalti, and ConnectIPS, coupled with instant FreeRADIUS 3.2 CoA reconnect on MikroTik RouterOS.
The Architecture of Automated ISP Billing in Nepal
A modern Nepali ISP billing architecture consists of four tightly synchronized components:
1. The Core Billing Engine (iBilling): Maintains subscriber accounts, package bandwidth tiers, billing cycles (Anniversary and Calendar), and unpaid invoices in Nepalese Rupees (NPR).
2. Payment Gateway Integration: Connects directly to eSewa ePay/Merchant API, Khalti Webhook & Mobile SDK, and ConnectIPS inter-bank rails.
3. FreeRADIUS 3.2 AAA Engine: Authenticates PPPoE subscribers, applies MikroTik-Rate-Limit attributes, and tracks data consumption.
4. MikroTik RouterOS CoA (Port 3799): When payment succeeds, a Change of Authorization (CoA) disconnect packet forces the subscriber router to reconnect instantly at full package speed without rebooting equipment.
How eSewa Payment Automation Works
eSewa is the most widely adopted digital payment wallet in Nepal. iBilling supports both Webhook IPN and Hosted ePay checkout flows:
- The subscriber receives an automated bill alert via SMS or WhatsApp with an instant payment link.
- Clicking the link opens the iBilling subscriber portal, where the customer selects eSewa.
- iBilling generates a unique transaction signature (HMAC-SHA256) and redirects the user to the secured eSewa gateway.
- Upon successful PIN and OTP verification, eSewa delivers an instantaneous webhook payload to iBilling.
- The system validates the transaction reference, marks the invoice as Paid, generates a tax-compliant receipt, and sends a CoA packet to MikroTik to restore broadband access in under 2 seconds.
Khalti & ConnectIPS Real-Time Settlement
In addition to eSewa, Khalti's growing digital banking footprint and ConnectIPS bank-to-bank settlement are essential for high-ARPU enterprise and corporate subscribers. iBilling provides native multi-gateway routing:
- Khalti Payment Gateway: Full API integration with automated server-side verification using Khalti secret keys.
- ConnectIPS: Enables direct bank account transfers with zero wallet balance limits, ideal for annual corporate renewals.
- Partial Payments & Advance Balances: Subscribers can top up advance wallet balances or settle outstanding balances with automatic ledger entries.
NTA Regulatory Compliance in Nepal
Broadband operators in Nepal must comply with Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) directives concerning subscriber registration, KYC document verification (Citizenship card, PAN), and traffic monitoring. iBilling stores encrypted subscriber KYC attachments, maintains comprehensive RADIUS accounting logs, and enforces tariff transparency in compliance with NTA requirements.
Migrating Your Nepal ISP to Automated Billing
Transitioning from legacy billing scripts or manual spreadsheets to iBilling is streamlined. With CSV import templates for existing MikroTik PPPoE secrets and automated gateway onboarding, most Nepali operators complete migration within 48 hours without network downtime.