Egyptian fixed incumbent Telecom Egypt has signed a national roaming agreement with Orange Egypt as it readies its mobile launch.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding, Orange Egypt will allow Telecom Egypt to provide 2G, 3G and 4G services over its network. Telecom Egypt is currently deploying its own radio network across Egypt, which will lower its dependency on roaming deals with rival operators.
Ahmed El Beheiry, MD and CEO of Telecom Egypt said: “We have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that Telecom Egypt is ready to launch commercial operations as swiftly and smoothly as possible. This agreement signals the strength of our commercial cooperation with Orange Egypt. We have reached commercial terms on 2G, 3G and 4G access as well as transmission services.”
Telecom Egypt was previously a fixed-only operator, but in August 2016 gained a licence allowing it to offer mobile services, followed by a 4G licence in October last year. Along with its ongoing network deployment, it is developing systems for billing, point of sale and customer relationship management.
The operator has until now only had involvement in the mobile sector via a 44.95% stake in Vodafone Egypt. In the fixed space however it is a major regional player, with 6.5 million subscribers across its footprint.
