Kathmandu, May 9 -- When Nepal Khabar reported this week that Meta was investing approximately Rs 5 billion to build a data centre in Nepal through a partnership with WorldLink Communications, it sounded like a watershed moment for the country's digital economy. WorldLink says it isn't true.

The Nepali internet service provider, named as Meta's local partner, denied the claim in an interview with Kantipur. "If a foreign investment of that size were coming in, we would have announced it through a formal event," said Keshav Nepal, WorldLink's Chief Executive. "There is no agreement, or NDA signed between Meta and us - none."

The denial cuts to the heart of confusion spreading through Nepal's tech conversation: the difference between a com...