MAP > Internet Providers in Egypt

Egypt has been able to unify license leading to the cross-platform access deals. Supported by a population of over 90 million, this country owns a very large telecom market in North Africa. Recently, we have been able to witness an effective competition in the various sectors, while there is one key development that has been recent award of the unified licenses to be able to allow the operators to provide services in fixed line as well as the other mobile sectors. Incumbent telco, namely Telecom Egypt has secured a license in August, in the year 2016.

Three mobile network operators at the beginning failed to bid for remaining 3 licenses, that would have ensured that they get to enter fixed-line market and also offers a fully convergent service offering, This is what prompted the government to go on and consider opening bidding process to the international operators shortly afterward the network operators got to secure license after having the renegotiated license terms. The spectrum got to be assigned to licensees in June 2017. Country’s political crisis that followed ‘The Arab Spring’ revolution that began in the year 2011, well adversely affected telecom sector. Despite the revenue remaining very stable, the profit margins, as well as the capital expenditure getting to fall as a result of the weak local currency and this, is especially since the beginning of the year 2013 as well as the international investors getting to show some considerable caution.

The government in recent months has been able to endeavor in ensuring it secures billions of dollars in the funding to be able to develop the technology parks as well as extend the broadband availability. In the process to expand ICT to create jobs and also rekindle the international investors’ interest. Efforts have been underway to go on and roll out the next generation networks, providing the converged IP based voice, entertainment services as well as data. This country has been well connected by numerous international submarine fiber optic cables while also it has an extensive national fiber backbone and some of Africa’s most vibrant FttP deployments.

Egypt owns one of largest mobile telecom markets in Africa, with a very effective competition as well as the penetration rates of close to 105%. Despite the country being among first countries in region to be able to launch the 3G mobile services, development of the LTE services got to be delayed to late 2017.