Etisalat Misr beats Orange Egypt to snap up 20 MHz of new bandwidth
Etisalat Misr has snapped up 20 MHz of bandwidth on offer from the National Telecommunications Authority (NTRA), edging out Orange Egypt, which also bid in the auction, Youm7 reports, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. The bandwidth, which was offered by the authority for at least USD 150 mn per 10-MHz band, will be owned by Etisalat for the next 10 years, the sources said. Results of the auction will be officially announced by the NTRA once they are approved by the authority’s board.
Background: Both mobile network operators had sat out an auction last month which saw Vodafone Egypt and Telecom Egypt’s WE bid on 40 MHz of bandwidth for USD 600 mn and another 20 MHz for USD 300 mn. The results of the first sale have not yet been announced. Mobile network operators in Egypt have repeatedly asked the NTRA to provide access to more spectrum since 2017 when the regulator first launched 4G in the country.