Kuwait’s Zain to meet Egyptian minister over 4G license today

Officials from Kuwaiti mobile operator Zain are to meet Egypt’s telecommunications minister on Wednesday to discuss the terms for obtaining a fourth-generation (4G) license in Egypt, a senior telecom ministry official told Tuesday.

The official also told Reuters that Saudi Telecom, China Telecom and a European firm had expressed interest in acquiring a 4G license in the country of more than 90 million.

“Zain’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer … will arrive in Cairo today to meet with the minister… and officials from the National Telecom Regulatory Authority tomorrow to discuss conditions and details of the 4G licenses,” he said.

The sale of 4G licenses is part of Egypt’s long-awaited plan to reform the telecoms sector.

Egypt’s telecoms regulator has already approached the three current mobile service providers – Orange Egypt, Vodafone Egypt, and Etisalat – about potentially buying 4G licenses.

The current operators have until the first week of August to submit applications.

Communications Minister Yasser al-Kadi told Reuters last month that Egypt would offer 4G licenses in an international auction only if the existing carriers were not interested.

Zain, which operates in eight countries in the Middle East and Africa, said in a statement to the Kuwaiti stock exchange on Monday that it had informed Egypt’s telecommunications regulator of its preliminary interest in obtaining a 4G license.