All four of Egypt’s telecom operators are officially clear to offer 5G services just as the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) awarded 5G licences to Vodafone Egypt, Orange Egypt, and e& Egypt on Monday.
The three operators follow Telecom Egypt, which obtained its 5G licence in January for US$150 million. Whereas the licences for Vodafone, Orange, and e& are valued at a total of US$675 million.
According to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), this initiative includes the renewal of previous-generation licenses, all valid for the next 15 years.
MCIT Minister Amr Talaat hailed the move as a significant milestone in Egypt’s digital transformation journey.
He emphasized the importance of 5G in improving mobile network capacity and service quality and supporting IoT-based solutions for smart cities, logistics, healthcare, and agriculture.
Talaat also said he expects the four telecom operators to partner and compete to foster 5G development in ways that will strengthen the IT sector’s role in economic development.
With its ultra-fast speeds, 5G technology will enable advanced applications in precision agriculture, telemedicine, and real-time logistics management.
Initially, NTRA planned to grant 5G licenses by the end of 2023. However, in October 2023, the Ashraq Business news agency revealed that telecommunication companies requested a postponement of the dates to give them more time to obtain funds.
Even so, Egyptian telecom operators have been preparing for 5G, with Telecom Egypt successfully trialing 5G with Ericsson and partnering with Huawei and Nokia.
Ericsson has also spent the year striking various technology partnerships with Vodafone Egypt, Orange Egypt, and e& Egypt. Vodafone Egypt’s CEO, Mohamed Abdallah, has announced plans to launch 5G services within the next six months.
The rollout is anticipated to have a transformative impact on Egypt’s digital landscape, fostering economic resilience and innovation.
The rollout is expected to transform Egypt’s digital landscape, fostering economic resilience and innovation. 5G technology offers speeds of up to 20 Gbps, significantly faster than 4G. This will bolster IoT capabilities and support various sectors.
