Page 112 - SAMENA Trends - July-August 2022

WHOLESALE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Egyptian Telcos Ink National Roaming Agreement

Telecom Egypt has announced the signing
of a commercial agreement with Orange
Egypt for national roaming services. In a
press release Telecom Egypt said that the
five-year agreement, which extends until the
end of 2027, will ‘ensure that [it] continues
to provide high-quality voice and data
mobile network coverage to its customers
nationwide’. It was noted that the deal had
been agreed after Orange won the tender
for national roaming services that Telecom
Egypt had issued to all local mobile network
operators (MNOs), due to the impending
expiration of its current roaming agreement
with etisalat by e& (formerly Etisalat Misr),
which ends in December 2022. According
to Telecom Egypt, Orange submitted
the best technical and financial offer in CEO, said: ‘This step confirms the depth savings for our mobile call costs starting
terms of value and return, while it was of the strategic relationship between in 2023, which will improve the business
claimed the new agreement will provide Telecom Egypt and Orange Egypt, and line and consequently the overall margin—
a number of competitive, technical, and both companies’ keenness to develop the in line with our growing customer base.
commercial advantages that will ‘boost the telecom services in the Egyptian market. Concurrently, Telecom Egypt is committed
development of Telecom Egypt’s services The new milestone will cement our position to expanding its mobile network coverage
and enhance its position in the Egyptian as a strong contender in the mobile market by rolling out its mobile sites all over Egypt
mobile market’. Commenting, Adel Hamed, through the technical, commercial, and to provide superior telecommunication
Telecom Egypt’s Managing Director and financial benefits—in particular, financial services to its customers.’

Telcos Directed to Ensure National Roaming by End of the Year

cellular services of another network (such operators. A senior USF official said all
as Telenor or Jazz). Simply put, you’ll be technical arrangements had been made
able to use services of another network if to implement national roaming, including
you go out of coverage. “The telcos have security permissions, but the four telecom
been directed to settle the framework and companies had yet to finalize the rate of
charges agreement for national roaming national roaming calls. The official said it
with the PTA to implement it before the end had been proposed that the rate of national
of 2022,” IT Minister Syed Aminul Haque roaming should be 1.25 or 1.5 times higher
said. He said national roaming would be than normal rates. “As a result of national
essential on highways, motorways and at roaming, almost all the highways and
some tourist spots because no company motorways will get connected, as not every
had full coverage at such places. However, single company is required to establish
telecom companies have yet to agree on its base along the complete route,” the
call rates they would charge consumers and official said. Currently, the USF projects
The IT ministry has directed telecom share with each other. Meanwhile, national are under way at M3 and M5 motorways,
companies to implement national roaming roaming has been made mandatory Coastal Highway and National Highway 50
by the end of this year so that citizens in for all USF projects on motorways and and 70. The USF has estimated that out of
areas with patchy network coverage can some isolated spots with patchy network around 13,000 kilometers of highways and
make calls and send messages using any coverage. The USF works under the IT motorways in the country, some 8,000km
cellular service. National roaming — to be ministry to develop telecommunication were not connected with telecom and
imp¬lemented on motorways, highways and services in unserved and underserved broadband services. According to its initial
some tourist spots thro¬ugh the Universal areas. It has no government funding and report, Balochistan paints a grim picture, as
Service Fund (USF) — will help users of one contributions come from 1.5 per cent only 243km of its 4,129km highway network
network (for example, Ufone) to avail the of the adjusted revenues of telecom is served while 3,886km is unserved.
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