Orange Egypt has submitted a request for a licence to operate 4G mobile phone services in the country, reports Reuters. The operator said it had informed the regulator of its desire to renegotiate the acquisition of a 4G license in light of new terms. Egypt is selling four 4G licences as part of a long-awaited plan to reform the telecoms sector and to raise money for stretched government finances. All three mobile operators, Vodafone, Orange, and Etisalat, earlier refused to move towards obtaining a 4G license, attributing their decision to the limited frequencies on the table, which would impact the quality of service; the high price of the license; and the condition of paying 50 percent of fees in US dollars.
The statement from Orange Egypt came shortly after the regulator announced that operators which paid for the licence entirely in dollars would be given priority for buying additional spectrum. The regulator had originally required that companies pay half the cost of the licence in US dollars, which are scarce in Egypt due to a long-running economic crisis. The regulator said the company had until 23 October to submit a formal offer.
Telecom Egypt was the only company to take up the original offer, buying a 4G license in August for EGP 7.08 billion to enter the mobile market directly for the first time. The company later offered to buy additional spectrum not acquired by other operators. The regulator said it would reconvene on 23 October to discuss additional options for rolling out 4G services that include holding an international auction for the remaining licences and selling additional frequency to Telecom Egypt. Zain, China Telecom. STC and Lebara KSA have all expressed interest in acquiring Egyptian 4G licences if the established companies bow out.
