GSMA SAYS 4G TALKS should be restarted: The global mobile operator trade association GSMA (Groupe Spécial Mobile Association) has called for a “renewed dialogue” between Egypt’s government and the local MNOs. “The GSMA understands the existing mobile operators are ready to support and invest in 4G in Egypt if sufficient spectrum is allocated, at a fair price, so that 4G services can be operated efficiently and enable customers to enjoy significantly faster speeds.” The GSMA says, based on its international experience, “the total amount of spectrum assigned to each operator for 4G needs to be in the range of 2x30MHz to 2x60MHz, across a range of coverage and capacity bands, with a minimum contiguous bandwidth of 2x10MHz in each band. In contrast, only 2×2.5MHz to 2x5MHz were proposed to mobile operators by the Egyptian authorities in the recent 4G licence offering. It is also essential that the price of spectrum access is appropriate to the national market and takes into account the investment necessary to provide robust networks to enable the delivery of the long-term social and economic benefits of mobile broadband.”

In other 4G news: Telecom Egypt has reportedly started drawing down on the first tranche of an EGP 5 bn facility from a syndicate that includes the National Bank of Egypt, QNB Al Ahli, and CIB, unnamed banking sources tell Al Shorouk. The loan, which does not include a USD tranche, is to finance TE’s acquisition of the 4G licence.