Egypt’s National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has achieved the “Advanced” level in the G5 Benchmark for regulatory performance in the telecommunications sector, as recognized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
This level represents the highest global ranking and highlights the collaborative efforts in regulatory development within the telecommunications industry. The ITU has classified the NTRA and the Egyptian regulatory experience at this level due to their effective use of collaborative regulation to foster an integrated digital economy and create a conducive regulatory environment for efficient and effective digital services.
Collaborative regulation is considered essential for the digital transformation process and the delivery of integrated digital services in various sectors. It requires coordination and collaboration between telecommunications regulatory bodies and counterparts in other sectors. This collaborative approach aims to establish an effective regulatory framework for service governance and address the challenges posed by emerging technologies and integrated digital services.
The ITU’s classification of the NTRA reinforces Egypt’s leading role regionally and globally in the telecommunications regulatory field. This recognition opens up further investment opportunities in the Egyptian telecommunications market and supports the development of an attractive investment and competitive environment. It also contributes to the progress of the digital transformation process.
The NTRA has actively promoted collaborative regulation by engaging with regulatory entities from different sectors to support the digital transformation process. This includes agreements with the Central Bank of Egypt to support digital payments and enhance financial inclusion. Additionally, the NTRA collaborates with various government entities to ensure the protection of telecommunications infrastructure within the national cybersecurity strategy.
The recent progress of the NTRA builds upon a series of local and international achievements in telecommunications regulation. These achievements include launching initiatives to promote digital services in the Egyptian market, involving all segments of society in the digital transformation process, and ensuring accessible telecommunications and internet services for elderly users and people with disabilities.
Furthermore, the NTRA’s interactive application, MyNTRA, was recognized as one of the top five global projects in digital government at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) forum in May 2022. Egypt also hosted the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR23), which brought together over 700 specialists from telecommunications regulators and policymakers from more than 100 countries.
In addition, the Egyptian African Telecommunication Training Center (EG-ATRC), affiliated with the NTRA, has been accredited by the ITU as an international training center at the ITU Academy. This accreditation was achieved by meeting the criteria for selecting partners for the ITU Training Academy from a pool of over 60 participating centers worldwide.
Moreover, Egypt chaired three study committees in the radio, standardization, and development sectors at the International Telecommunication Union.
