Minister of Communications and Information Technology Atef Helmy has said that the government will announce fees for a fourth mobile provider license within weeks.
The move is an attempt to restructure the telecommunications sector, inject new investment, and provide employment opportunities and financial resources.
“We drew on the help of a German company to determine what the fees for that service should be,” Helmy said, adding that the license would be granted to Telecom Egypt to help it face fierce market competition.
He also said that the three existing mobile providers would be allowed to apply for licenses for the land line and international communications portal.
He added that Telecom Egypt is negotiating with them to provide the service through its network, as the license does not include access to frequencies for the time being.
Mobinil and Vodafone owe Telecom Egypt approximately LE8.8 billion going back years, a transaction which will be subject to judicial arbitration. Etisalat owes the company a further LE300.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
