Telecommunication companies in Egypt have asked National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) to approve raising prices for their services in order to deal with rising operational costs, according to reports in local media.
The four main telecom providers in the country are Etisalat Egypt, Vodafone Egypt, Orange Egypt and Telecom Egypt.
In a reply to questions from Ahram Online on the reports, Etisalat Egypt confirmed that the company has asked the NTRA to adjust service prices to offset significant rises in the prices of imported production requirements and other operational costs.
The company added that higher service prices are needed also to finance development and modernization of services.
Etisalat Egypt explained that a large portion of the cost of operations are based on the value US dollar, which has doubled in price vis-a-vis the Egyptian pound since March 2022.
The company stressed that it is working with NTRA to reach an understanding on the best way to adjust service prices, noting that it has not increased service prices for over six years despite rising inflation and currency depreciation.
Meanwhile, Ayman Essam, the Director of Legal and External Affairs at Vodafone Egypt, said in an interview with local media that his company has asked the NTRA to adjust service prices and is awaiting a response.