Egypt’s ICT: Ongoing Riots Delay Offering Integrated License
Eng. Atef Helmy, Egyptian Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), said the current political events affect on the time of offering the integrated Operator license which must be offered in the beginning of July.
The Minister added in the first statement for him after taking over the Ministry’s responsibility that the pending problems between the three mobile phone operators and Telecom Egypt (TE) which undertaken by the device will be completed to offer the license by the end of this month.
Helmy has explained that he had discussed with Dr. Hazem El-Beblawi, the Prime Minister in the interim government that it is expected for ICT to contribute by a large margin in the gross national product (GNP) and create many jobs, stressing that it has large fundamentals for launching in the sector.
Amr Badawi, CEO of National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority(NTRA), has asserted that the broad of directors cooperates with Deutsche Detecon company to finalize the pricing of integrated operator license services, pointing out that it is expected to complete all procedures within this July.
Badawi added to Amwal Al Ghad that NTRA is currently making negotiations with mobile phone operators and Telecom Egypt (TE) in order to solve the six problems between TE and the operators, asserting that the recent political events will suspend the procedures of finalizing the license.
Badawi has pointed out that the selling of TE’s share from Vodafone Egypt’s shares which estimated at 45% did not come within the controversy points that NTRA aims to end before the granting of TE for the integrated operator license.
Badawi added to Amwal al Ghad that TE and and mobile phone operating in the market will face six main problems and it must finalize them before granting an integrated operator license related to the quality of service.
He stressed that the current dilemma between internet companies and TE Data concerning ‘converting internet customers’ is one of the main problems which NTRA is seeking to finalize before TE’s granting for the integrated license.
He has emphasized that NTRA has not yet reached to resolve on the acquisition of customers, noting that the current problem lies within the “monopolistic practices” carried out by the TE , which tries to finish them.
Moreover, Badawi has pointed out that the linkage between Etisalat Egypt and TE is one of the outstanding problems between the two companies which should be resolved as soon as possible, stressing that the share of Telecom Egypt in Vodafone Egypt, estimated at 45% of the company’s shares does not come within the controversy points that targeting to solve by NTRA.
