GSMA calls for renewed talks between government and mobile operators

The GSMA has called for renewed talks between the Egyptian authorities and the country’s mobile industry after the offering of fourth-generation (4G) licences failed to attract any bids from Egypt’s three mobile operators, a press release by the association read on Thursday.
The association said that Egypt’s existing mobile carriers are ready to support and invest in 4G in Egypt if “sufficient spectrum is allocated, at a fair price, so that 4G services can be operated efficiently and enable customers to enjoy significantly faster speeds.”

“We urge the Egyptian government to increase the amount of spectrum offered to mobile operators to facilitate the speedy roll-out of 4G services in Egypt” said John Giusti, GSMA’s Chief Regulatory Officer.

Last week, Egypt’s telecom regulator, the National Telecom Regulatory Authority, said it may offer the 4G service licences by international tender after the three local mobile operators—Vodafone Egypt, Orange Egypt, and Etisalat—declined to apply for it due to terms and conditions of the 4G licence set by NTRA.