The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) signed contracts for the design and development of CPE routers in Egypt with three private companies.
The agreements were made between the Information Technology Industry Development Authority (ITIDA), the executive IT arm of the MCIT, and state-controlledTelecom Egypt (WE), the country's largest telecom operator.
The private companies involved in the agreements are El-Sewedy Electrometer, El-Araby, and a consortium of Bio Business Company and HitekNOFAL Optics.
The project is part of the cooperation between ITIDA and WE meant to provide locally manufactured peripheral devices for high-speed internet in Egypt to help WE meet local and regional demands.
During the signing ceremony, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat said this move represents a new phase in cooperation and partnership with the private sector, particularly with leading companies in the Egyptian market and the communications and information technology sector.
Egypt has a user base of approximately 70 million for fixed internet services.
In November 2023, Egypt was ranked 77th globally in terms of fixed broadband internet speeds, with an average speed of 64.53 megabytes per second.
The country held the eighth position among Arab countries in terms of fixed internet speed, while securing the top spot on Africa, according to Speedtest Global Index, which measures internet performance metrics.
Talaat said Egypt seeks to achieve self-sufficiency in the manufacturing of communication products to reduce reliance on imports of high-speed terrestrial Internet devices.
The country also targets to become a leading regional hub for electronics design and manufacturing, he pointed out.
In 2015, Egypt launched the Egypt Manufactures Electronics initiative to promote local manufacturing and reduce electronic imports.
Talaat expressed enthusiasm for further partnerships with private sector companies to localize the electronics industry.
The MCIT, he added, has recently signed agreements with companies involved in manufacturing mobile devices and other electronic devices, according to the statement.