(AFP File Photo)
By Mohamed Alaa El-Din
Minister of Communications Khaled Negm said the plan to reduce internet prices will not be stopped, and that he is continuing his battle against the Telecom Egypt (TE) monopoly on the communications sector infrastructure.
TE’s executives have directed accusations towards the minister regarding bias towards private internet companies against the government company, which is considered a waste of public funds.
In response, Negm said in a special statement to Daily News Egypt, that the plan to reduce internet prices serves the interests of the sector, and the country’s economy as a whole.
Negm added that all the Ministry of Communications asked TE to do is reduce the prices of renting infrastructure for the internet companies, to allow the internet providers to reduce the final prices for the consumer. If this plan does not work, the only company that would have the means to reduce prices would be TE Data, which is considered monopolisation of the internet market.
A number of executive leaders in TE sent a letter to Negm, opposing “the unstudied steps taken over the last weeks, which harm the interest of TE, its shareholders and workers”. The management also accused the Ministry of Communications of exerting pressure on TE, to compel it to reduce the prices of renting infrastructure to the private mobile and internet companies.
“These pressures are exemplified in haphazardly throwing accusations, threatening everyone doing their job in maintaining the company’s income, and the dismissal of the Managing Director”, the letter read.
The Minister of Communications said that the statement issued by some of the leadership of TE agitates public opinion. He said that a widened investigation will be opened in TE on the four executives who signed the letter.
