Mobile phone companies offered their voice services to be used by Telecom Egypt (TE) in phases that are being agreed upon. TE is to offer mobile services this year.
Sources told Daily News Egypt that mobile operators are currently negotiating with TE on the schedule necessary to cover the services to be provided by the three mobile operators in Egypt for the benefit of TE.
The TE license includes providing mobile voice services through the three mobile operators after signing an agreement to provide national roaming with three operators and buy voice minutes and re-sell them to the consumer. TE is also to pay an amount in exchange for the use of the mobile operators’ networks.
The sources added that the mobile operator companies asked for TE’s plan in the geographical expansion in order to determine the phases necessary to cover services provided to TE at the level of the republic. Mobile operators will work to establish new towers and stations to accommodate the increase in utilisation rates according to TE’s plan.
The National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has decided to extend the deadline granted to TE to sign agreements with mobile operators after the previous deadline expired in December.
TE received a license to provide mobile services and 4G frequencies for EGP 7.08bn.
TE has asked mobile operators to provide the technical plans necessary for the use of networks to provide mobile services in the local market, which include technical solutions to cope with emergencies throughout the day.
TE discussed with mobile operators about providing the best technical solutions for securing devices and equipment of the companies, in addition to a proposal to provide the best level of service, according to the sources.
The sources added that mobile operators asked the NTRA to make the national roaming agreement an integral part of TE’s license to provide mobile services. They also requested the NTRA to set a condition for the renewal of the national roaming agreement to TE when it fulfils all of its obligations arising from the agreement.
TE has announced that it will provide mobile services in the domestic market as soon as the first domestic roaming agreement is signed with one of the mobile operators, without being bound by the signing of agreements with the other operators.
