The NTRA’s head, Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) is working on increasing the prices of telecom services in the coming period—a decision that NTRA’s head, Mohamed Shamroukh, deemed “necessary.”
“We are currently working on increasing the prices of telecom services following the rise in energy prices, which has raised the operational costs for companies in the sector,” Shamroukh stated, noting that raising the prices of telecom services is essential to ensure that they are delivered in a way that meets the needs and expectations of citizens.
For months, mobile operators in Egypt have been urging the NTRA to approve service price increases in response to rising fuel costs and the devaluation of the Egyptian pound. Some companies have suggested that securing approval to increase prices could affect their ability to invest in 5G technology.
Despite these financial pressures, mobile operators in Egypt earned licenses for 5G services, which improve internet connectivity, speed, and capacity, and Egypt secured around USD 675 million (EGP 32.7 billion) from the sale of these licenses, according to a statement made by Egypt’s Minister of Communications, Amr Talaat, on 7 October.
The licenses were acquired by Egypt’s four major mobile operators, including Vodafone Egypt, which is owned by South Africa’s Vodacom Group, and Orange Egypt, a subsidiary of France’s Orange Group. Etisalat Egypt, part of the UAE-based &e Group, formerly Etisalat Group, also secured a license, as did the state-owned Telecom Egypt, which notably holds a 45 percent stake in Vodafone Egypt.
In addition to 5G services, “eSIM services will be launched in the Egyptian market within a month, and Wi-Fi calling services will be available before the end of 2024,” Shamroukh told Asharq Business.
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