Bucking the regional trend, Egypt’s fixed lines market keeps growing.

Egypt’s fixed lines increased by one million between 2001 and 2002, which bucks a regional trend of GSM-inflicted stagnation in fixed lines growth. On the cellular front, Egypt’s cellular market will most likely remain a duopoly market until 2007. The Arab Advisors Group projects the GSM subscriber base in Egypt to reach 8.75 million subscribers by 2007.

October 28, 2003 -

Egypt’s Telecommunication Regulation Law No. 10 for the year 2003 was issued following a parliamentary decision, and was enacted by the President of Egypt on February 4, 2003. The law further builds on Presidential Decree No.101 for the year 1998, which established the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA), rather than being a replacement to the decree. The law renamed the regulator as the “National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority” (NTRA), and redefined its role.

According to the new telecom law, Telecom Egypt will receive one license at no charge, for each activity or service provided directly by Telecom Egypt or through companies it establishes with others, as long as it owns a majority of the capital. This will extend until end of 2005. Excluded are frequency licenses and charges and mobile licenses.

A new comprehensive country report, “Egypt Communications Projections Report 2003” was released to the Arab Advisors Group’s (www.arabadvisors.com) Strategic Research Service subscribers on October 27, 2003. The 118-pages report fully analyses the Egyptian Fixed and Cellular communications market and provides five-year forecasts of more than 40 Demographic, Economic and Infrastructure indicators. It also fully analyses all the major operators in the country and the equipment vendors’ competitive landscape. This comprehensive report can be purchased from Arab Advisors Group for only US$ 850. Any investment in this report will count towards a Strategic Research Service subscription should the service be acquired within three months from purchasing the report. Purchasing the report also entails the ability to attend the Arab Advisors Group’s Media and Telecommunications Convergence Conference in June 2004 in Amman for an additional fee of US$ 50 only. Please contact the Arab Advisors Group to receive the report’s Table of Contents.

“The whole telecommunication sector in Egypt is slated for liberalization by 2005. The Arab Advisors Group expects the PSTN market to remain a monopoly market operated by the incumbent operator, Telecom Egypt, till the start of 2006, when other players may enter different segments of the market.” Serene Zawaydeh, Arab Advisors Group Research Analyst noted. “As for the cellular market, in October 2003, Telecom Egypt signed a preliminary agreement with Vodafone Egypt to purchase a 16.9% share of the mobile operator’s capital. Telecom Egypt, which has a license to operate a third mobile network, is also negotiating with MobiNil and Vodafone Egypt to delay the launch of its third mobile network till November 2007. Although delaying the launch of Telecom Egypt’s GSM network does not preclude another mobile licensee (should there be one) from entering the market before the end of 2007, the Arab Advisors Group expects the market to remain duopoly operated throughout the coming four years.” Ms. Zawaydeh added.

The report estimates the fixed services (PSTN) revenues to reach US$ 1.5 billion in 2003, while GSM revenues will also exceed the US$ 1 billion mark in 2003.

The Arab Advisors Group’s team of analysts in the region has already produced close to 190 reports on the Arab World’s communications and media markets. The reports can be purchased individually or received through an annual subscription to Arab Advisors Group’s (www.arabadvisors.com) Strategic Research Services (Media and Telecom). To date, Arab Advisors Group has served more than 100 global and regional companies by providing reliable research analysis and forecasts of Arab communications markets to these clients.