Telecom Egypt Wins First National 5G License in Egypt for US$150M

Egypt's National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has awarded Telecom Egypt the nation's first 5G license, marking a significant step in the country's mobile broadband and connectivity evolution. The licence, covering 15 years, was granted for US$150 million, giving Telecom Egypt the exclusive right to install and operate 5G services.

Interestingly, although this is the "first" 5G license, the four major mobile operators in Egypt—Telecom Egypt itself, Orange Egypt, Vodafone Egypt, and Etisalat Egypt—already hold frequencies in the 2.6GHz band suitable for 5G deployment. This means that while they own spectrum, none had the specialized license to commercially roll out full 5G services under the new regulatory framework until now.

There had been speculation as far back as late 2023 that the NTRA would launch a tender for 5G licenses, possibly valuing them at about US$500 million, but the final price agreed with Telecom Egypt is significantly lower. The decision to grant a single license—rather than multiple licenses via auction—has raised questions among industry observers.

The license positions Telecom Egypt to become the first operator to launch 5G-based services across the country. Use cases are expected to focus initially on enhanced mobile broadband, fixed wireless access, with potential expansion into more advanced services (IoT, enterprise, etc.) as 5G adoption grows.

From the regulatory perspective, this move underscores Egypt's ambition to catch up in the 5G race, while offering a controlled, possibly more predictable licensing environment. Stakeholders will be watching whether additional licenses follow.

Analysts estimate that by 2030, Egypt could be among the top four nations in Africa in terms of 5G adoption percentage, with around 33% of connections expected to be 5G. Morocco, Algeria, South Africa are projected to lead in percentage terms, with Egypt a rising player.