Mohamed Nasr, the CEO and Managing Director of Telecom Egypt, said that 5G technology will boost revenues from data services over the next five years. He said that the 5G network can be deployed in specific areas based on economic feasibility.
Telecom Egypt obtained a 5G licence last Wednesday for $150m, valid for 15 years. The company has started the trial operation phase of the service in five locations, including its headquarters in the Smart Village. The rollout will be gradual and based on economic feasibility in different regions.
Nasr expects a trial period of 3 to 5 months before the service is launched commercially. He confirmed that about 50% of Egypt Telecom’s network is 5G-ready, needing only simple software updates.
Nasr said that around 8% of smartphones in the Egyptian market are 5G-compatible. He noted that in June 2021, the Administrative Capital for Urban Development and Egypt Telecom set up the first shared 5G-enabled mobile tower in the New Capital.
This shared mobile tower, a first in the New Capital, allows all four mobile companies to offer various mobile services through one tower, supporting 4G, 3G, and 2G, as well as 5G technology.
Many applications can benefit from 5G services because of the high-speed data transfer capabilities it provides. These include applications for smart cities, waste management, and port administration.
