Egypt has long been the cultural and informational centre of the Middle East and North Africa, and Cairo is the region’s largest publishing and broadcasting centre. Telecommunications in Egypt play a significant role in the country.
Types of Telecommunications in Egypt
Press
There are eight daily newspapers with a total circulation of over 2 million and several monthly newspapers, magazines, and journals. Most political parties have their newspapers, which conduct a lively, often highly partisan, debate on public issues.
Egypt Post is a government-owned body that provides postal services.
Radio
Radio in Egypt is almost government-controlled, using 44 shortwave frequencies, 18 medium-wave stations, and four FM stations. Seven regional radio stations are covering the country. Egyptian Radio transmits 60 hours overseas in 33 languages and three hundred hours daily in Egypt. In 2000, Radio Cairo introduced new specialized (thematic) channels on its FM station. So far, they include news, music, and sports. Radio enjoys more freedom than TV in its news programs, talk shows and analysis.
In 2003, a private company, Nile Radio Productions, was licensed to operate two radio stations: Nile FM and Nogoum FM. Nile FM broadcasts in English, and Nogoom FM broadcasts in Egyptian. Both stations primarily broadcast mainly to the Greater Cairo region. In early 2009, Radio Masr was launched, promoting popular Egyptian songs, news & other programs.
Television
Egyptian ground-broadcast television (ERTU) is government-controlled and depends heavily on commercial revenue. ETV sells its specially produced programs and soap operas to the Arab world. ETV has two central, six regional, and three satellite channels. Of the two main channels, Channel I uses mainly Arabic. At the same time, Channel II is dedicated to foreigners and more cultured viewers, broadcasting news in English, French, and Arabic.
Egyptian Satellite channels broadcast to the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S. East Coast. In April 1998, Egypt launched its satellite known as NileSat 101. Seven specialized channels cover news, culture, sports, education, entertainment, health, and drama. A second digital satellite, Nilesat 102, was launched in August 2000. Many of its channels are rented to other stations.
Three new private satellite-based TV stations were launched in November 2001, marking a significant change in Egyptian government policy. Dream TV 1 and 2 produce cultural programming and broadcast contemporary video clips and films featuring Arab and international actors and soap operas; another private station focuses on business and general news. Both private channels transmit on NileSat.
In addition to Egyptian programming, the Middle East Broadcast Company, a Saudi television station transmitting from London (MBC), Arab Radio and Television (ART), Al-Jazeera television, and other Gulf stations, as well as Western networks such as CNN and BBC, provide access to more international programs to Egyptians who own satellite receivers.
Landline telephony
Currently, a single company in charge of landline telephony, Telecom Egypt, is also government-controlled.
Cellular communications
Currently, four companies offer cellular communication services: Orange, Vodafone, Etisalat, and We (by Telecom Egypt). These companies also provide services surpassing voice communication, such as 4G, 3G, and mobile internet.
Internet
The Internet companies market is divided into infrastructure and service providers.
- {NOOR Data Network}
- Telecom Egypt
- Orange DSL
- Etisalat Egypt
- Vodafone Egypt
Eight major Service Provider companies sell their services to smaller ISPs. The highest available speed through ADSL technologies was upgraded to 8Mb in downloads in February 2008 and then to 24Mb later that year. The Egyptian ISP market is not competitive, at least in Cairo and Alexandria, with only 3 ISPs offering below-average speeds(Up to 16Mbit/s).
Orascom, one of the shareholders of the leading cellular operator MobiNil, is also the most significant player in the Internet service provision market and owns 75 per cent of one of Egypt’s largest ISPs, LINKdotNET. The tie-up with the mobile operator is significant in that WAP services were introduced in May for a trial period, making Egypt one of the first countries in Africa to have introduced WAP.
Statistics
Telephones
leading lines in use: 10.808 million (2006)
mobile cellular: 300.047 million (2007)
Telephone system
Large system; underwent extensive upgrading during the 1990s and is reasonably modern; Telecom Egypt, the landline monopoly, has been increasing service availability, and in 2006, fixed-line density stood at 14 per 100 persons; as of 2007, there were three mobile-cellular networks and service is expanding rapidly
domestic
Principal centres at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relay.
International
The landing point for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 AND SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks; linked to the international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); satellite earth stations – 2 Intelsat (the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat; tropospheric scatter to Sudan; microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in Medarabtel
Radio broadcast stations
AM 42 (plus 15 repeaters), FM 14, shortwave 3 (1999)
Radios
3.07 million (1997)
Television Broadcast Stations
98 (1995)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
220 (2008)
Class A Data Service Providers in Egypt:
International Wholesale & Enterprise services:
- 1- NOOR Data Network.
- 2- TE Data (WE).
- 3- Vodafone Egypt.
- 4- Orange Egypt.
- 5- Etisalat Egypt.
Mobile-Data & consumer services:
- 1 – Orange. (4G/Broadband)
- 2 – WE (Broadband/PRI/Landline)
- 3- Vodafone. (4G/Broadband)
- 4- Etisalat. (4G/Broadband)
- 5- NOOR Telecommunications (Broadband, Premium-Broadband & VPN).
Internet Hosts
5,363 (2007)
People connected to the internet
12,568,900(As of June 2009)
Country codes
.EG (Top-level domain)
Telephone prefixes
Country code: +2(0)
Mobile services:
- Orange: 012
- Vodafone: 010
- Etisalat: 011
- We (Telecom Egypt): 015
Governorate code:
- Cairo (Capital), Giza 2 (Includes following cities: Cairo, Giza, 6th Of October, Helwan, New Cairo)
- Alexandria 3
- Banha 13
- 10th of Ramadan 15
- Tanta 40
- Damanhour 45
- Marsa Matrouh 46
- Kafer El Sheik 47
- Menouf 48
- Mansoura 50
- Zagazig 55
- Damietta 57
- Suez 62
- Ismailia 64
- Red Sea 65
- Port Said 66
- El Arish 68
- El Tour 69
- Bani Suef 82
- Fayyoum 84
- Minia 86
- Assiut 88
- El Wadi El Gedid 92
- Sohag 93
- Luxor 95
- Qena 96
- Aswan 97