Cairo – October 22, 2023: Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) is reportedly in discussions to issue its 5G licenses for telecoms operating in Egypt, sources recently revealed to Ashraq Business.
The licenses could be available as early as December, according to the sources, with licensing fees placed at least $500 million. In contrast, other news outlets have cited their own sources as stating that the value of the license was yet to be determined by authorities.
Traditionally, telecom license fees are paid in hard currency. The new license would inject a strong inflow of foreign currency to boost Egypt’s foreign reserves.
Ashraq's sources revealed that the authority and telecom operators have had meetings and discussions regarding the licenses and other related financial affairs, adding that the license offering date could be pushed to early 2024 if telecoms request additional time to secure any necessary funding.
Back in 2016, the NTRA granted 4G licenses to Egypt’s telecoms ranging between $300 million to $1 billion. Vodafone Egypt purchased its license for $335 million, Orange for $335 million, Etisalat Misr for $535.5 million, and Telecom Egypt acquiring their 4G license for $1.1 billion.
Orange was the last telecom to receive an additional spectrum of frequencies which included 4G and 5G capabilities in 2022, making it the last of the telecoms operating in Egypt to receive 5G-capable frequencies.
Former Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Khaled Negm, was quoted by local media as stating that Egypt’s infrastructure has the capability to provide 5G services, however its accessibility and efficiency will be dependent on telecoms.
According to Ashraq, telecom operators in Egypt have requested the NTRA to permit an increase in service prices by up to 30 percent as profit margins continue to shrink due to rising inflation. The authority has not responded to the companies’ appeals so far, they wrote.
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