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Telecom Egypt acquires mobile licence for EGP 2.5 bln
2014-04-03 08:22:00| Telecompaper Headlines
(Telecompaper) The Egyptian government has handed over a mobile licence to fixed-line operator Telecom Egypt. The state-owned incumbent will pay EGP 2.5 billion to enter the mobile market, according to telecommunications minister Atef Helmy at a press conference reported by Reuters. It will have one year to sell its almost 45 percent stake in Vodafone Egypt. The country's three existing mobile operators will also be allowed to enter the fixed market, using Telecom Egypt's network, by acquiring a licence for EGP 100 million. Helmy said the details of the unified licence, for both mobile and fixed services, will be finished by 30 June, following consultations with the telecom companies. Telecom Egypt will not receive any spectrum, but instead need to negotiate a MVNO agreement with an existing operator. It could acquire spectrum later, with an auction of frequencies for 4G services planned for June 2016, according to the head of the telecoms regulator, Hesham El Alaily. The new unified licence requires a single payment plus an annual fee, Alaily told Reuters. He did not give any details on the annual fees.
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Category:Telecommunications