NTRA may revise international portal licence prices on Egypt pound float move: sources

Egypt’s telecoms regulator the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) may consider revising prices of international portal licence for Vodafone and Orange Egypt following a move to freely float local currency, sources with knowledge in NTRA said.

The NTRA previously offered the international portal licence for a total of 3.5 billion Egyptian pounds provided that each mobile operator would pay 1.8 billion pounds. NTRA said it will collect the licence value entirely in dollars. After floating decision, the source added, NTRA would revise the prices of the licence according to the new exchange rates.

The NTRA gave the two mobile operators a period of six months to study terms of acquiring international portal licence starting from the day they obtain the 4G licence.

The international portal licence, which was recently acquired by Telecom Egypt and Etisalat Misr, will allow licencees to provide international calls services.

TE earlier announced renewing agreement on renting required infrastructure with Orange Egypt and Vodafone Egypt to start providing 4G services while the two companies are waiting for the best offer TE would make.

For his part, Stefano Gastaut, CEO of Vodafone Egypt said that his company would announce a final decision concerning the acquisition of International Portal licence within a period of two months.