The event was attended by Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment; Engineer Ayman Attia, Governor of Qalyubia; Ahmed El-Moslemany, Chairman of the National Media Authority; Major General Hani Mahmoud Mansour, Director of Signals for the Armed Forces; and several other officials.
Ambassadors from the United Kingdom, the United Arab
Emirates, and France were present, alongside several members of parliament,
senior executives in the telecommunications sector, and representatives from
regulatory bodies and telecom companies in Egypt.
The Prime Minister was received by Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister
of ICT, and Engineer Mohamed Shamroukh, CEO of the National Telecommunications
Regulatory Authority (NTRA).
He then proceeded to the theater hall in the courtyard of
Muhammad Ali Palace to inaugurate the events, which began with a welcoming
address, followed by a drone show. The display used LED lighting in the sky to
showcase the logos and symbols of the four mobile operators and 5G services,
alongside the announcement of the Spectrum Strategy 2026–2030. Speeches were
delivered by Engineer Tamer El-Mahdi, Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt;
Hisham Mehran, CEO of Orange Egypt; Mohamed Kamal Abdallah, CEO and Managing
Director of Vodafone Egypt; and Engineer Hazem Metwally, CEO of E& Egypt.
A short documentary highlighting “Achievements of the
Telecommunications Sector in Egypt” was screened, followed by a speech by Dr.
Amr Talaat, Minister of ICT.
The Prime Minister also attended the signing of spectrum
allocation agreements for mobile operators, granting new frequency bands
totaling 410 MHz to the four telecom companies, at a value of approximately
$3.5 billion. The newly allocated spectrum matches the total frequency bands
assigned to mobile operators since the introduction of mobile services in
Egypt.
This comes as part of the launch of the Spectrum Strategy
2026–2030. NTRA’s allocation of the new spectrum represents a qualitative leap
in managing and utilizing frequency resources. It supports the sustainability
and development of telecommunications infrastructure, enhances service quality
for citizens, improves 5G services, strengthens market competitiveness, and
ensures network readiness for digital transformation, supporting the
implementation of Egypt’s Digital Strategy.
The move also addresses the growing demand for data services
and advanced digital applications, fosters digital innovation, and reinforces
Egypt’s position as a leading regional hub in ICT.
Dr. Amr Talaat emphasized that today marks an unprecedented
step in the history of Egypt’s telecommunications sector. The signing of the
largest spectrum deal in mobile communications, valued at around $3.5 billion,
provides an additional 410 MHz of spectrum to mobile operators, effectively
doubling the available capacity over the past 30 years in a single transaction.
This substantial expansion complements the launch of 5G
services in June 2025, ensuring network readiness for future applications.
The Minister stressed that the spectrum agreements, with
their enormous investment value and strategic significance, are not a routine
technical procedure but a long-term strategic move. It aligns the state’s
vision with private sector partnerships to reshape Egypt’s telecommunications
infrastructure, where digital infrastructure, both mobile and fixed internet,
remains a cornerstone of building a digital Egypt.
On the sidelines of the event at Muhammad Ali Palace,
regulatory agreements were also signed between NTRA and licensed mobile
operators to secure the new frequencies.
The launch of the new Spectrum Strategy is part of ongoing
efforts to develop and regulate the telecommunications sector, expand services
in line with global technological advancements, meet user needs efficiently,
encourage national and international investment, enhance network efficiency,
and ensure service quality complies with international standards, in accordance
with the recommendations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).