News
Country’s mobile operators reportedly offered licences at different prices, based on market position.
Orange this weekend shared details of the various fees levied by Egypt’s telecoms regulator for fixed and mobile licences, including a 3.54 billion Egyptian pounds (€352 million) charge for a 4G concession.
The mobile operator issued an Arabic language statement to the Egyptian Stock Market on the subject on Sunday.
According to Reuters, the announcement also states that Orange has been asked by the regulator to pay EGP100 million for a fixed-line licence and EGP1.8 billion for an international calls licence.
The telco said it is considering its options and has yet to make a decision on the licences.
The Egyptian regulator, the National Telecom Regulatory Authority, confirmed that it has approached all three of the country’s mobile network operators regarding 4G licences, but it appears that the terms and conditions, including price, are not the same for all three, the newswire explained.
It quoted Vodafone Egypt’s external affairs and legal director Khaled Hegazi as saying that the regulator has applied specific conditions to each company based on its position in the market. The telco confirmed it has received an offer, but did not share specifics.
The newswire added that it had been unable to obtain comment from the market’s other mobile operator, Etisalat.
The regulator’s actions also affect fixed-line player Telecom Egypt, which holds a unified services licence that, once activated, will allow it to offer mobile services.
Telecom Egypt on Sunday said it has been granted a 4G licence, Reuters reported, but did not share how much it will pay for it.
