Telecom Egypt partners with Nokia to deploy 5G

Telecom Egypt and Nokia have partnered to bring fifth-generation (5G) technology to Egypt.

The deal will see Telecom Egypt's radio access network upgraded, introducing 5G-ready services in the cities of Alexandria, Aswan, Cairo, Giza and Luxor – bringing 5G technology to the country for the first time.

The agreement will see Nokia deploy 5G radio access network (RAN) equipment from its AirScale portfolio, comprising baseband units and its latest generation of Massive MIMO radios.

"This will deliver an exceptional network experience for Telecom Egypt's customers, including faster data speeds, enhanced performance, and increased capacity," the companies said in a joint statement.

The technology is expected to bring numerous benefits, including increased capacity for connectivity in some of the North African country's most densely populated areas.

Telecom Egypt CTO Mohamed Al Fowey said the agreement with Nokia strengthens the companies' partnership, reaffirms Telecom Egypt's commitment to providing cutting-edge digital services, and positions the company at the forefront of the 5G revolution.

"Both our consumer and enterprise customers can look forward to enhanced mobile broadband and exciting new applications that leverage the speed and low latency of 5G technology," Al Fowey said.

Nokia's president of mobile networks, Tommi Uitto, endorsed Al Fowey's sentiments, saying that the 5G contract extends the longstanding partnership between the two companies.

"The introduction of 5G services enabled by our extensive portfolio will open exciting new opportunities for people and businesses in Egypt to experience enhanced mobile connectivity. Our collaboration establishes a strong foundation for driving the nation's digital transformation," Uitto said.

In January, Telecom Egypt secured the country's first 5G license from the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) for US$150 million.

Egypt's mobile environment

Under a privatization push, the Egyptian government sold its 9.5% stake in Telecom Egypt in May 2023, and in September 2023, said it was considering selling more of its share.

It will be interesting to see which other Egyptian telcos not only secure 5G licenses but also deploy the technology.

Statistics from market research company Omdia, a sister company of Connecting Africa, show that at the end of the first quarter of 2024, Telecom Egypt had about 13 million subscribers, making it the smallest operator in the country.

Vodafone Egypt, now majority controlled by SA's Vodacom, is the country's biggest mobile operator with 48.3 million subscribers around the same period.

Orange Egypt has about 29.6 million subscribers. Etisalat follows it, with almost 29.4 million subscribers.

African 5G growth

Telecom Egypt and Nokia 5G deal comes when many African countries are launching and rolling out the next-gen technology.

Last week, Kenyan telco Safaricom overtook Airtel Kenya in the number of active 5G sites it has in the East African country.

At the beginning of July, the Tunisian Ministry of Communication Technologies called for tenders to award 5G operating licenses.

5G technology is expected to bring benefits including increased capacity for connectivity in some of Egypt's most densely populated areas. (Source: Image by freepik)

In January, Somali telecommunications operator Hormuud Telecomlaunched its 5G network in key locations in the East African country.

Hormuud Telecom launch followed fellow Somali operator Somtel's 5G launch, which happened weeks earlier.

In October 2023, the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) awarded 5G licenses to three operators in the country and Orange announced that it was testing 5G in Sierra Leone.

Orange previously said it plans to launch 5G services in most of its African operations by the end of 2024.

Want to know more? Sign up to get the weekly Connecting Africa newsletter direct to your inbox.

In September 2023, Ethiopian state-owned telecom operator Ethio Telecom launched its commercial 5G services.

Emtel also became the second telco to launch 5G services in the island nation of Mauritius in August 2023, while MTN and Airtel launched 5G in Uganda and Airtel in Zambia also in August 2023.

*Top image source: Telecom Egypt investor relations website

— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa