Earlier this year, Telecom Egypt received the country’s first 5G license, valid for 15 years, and announced it was partnering with communications technology provider Nokia to upgrade its radio access network and introduce 5G-enabled services in the cities of Alexandria, Aswan, Cairo, Giza and Luxor, as well as being the first to bring 5G technology to Egypt.
With a history of serving Egyptian customers for over 170 years, Telecom Egypt markets itself as Egypt’s first integrated telecommunications operator offering customers a full range of communications services, including fixed and mobile voice and data services. The company, which also owns 45% of Vodafone Egypt, said it maintains a leading position in Egypt’s telecommunications market by offering cutting-edge technology, reliable infrastructure services and the most extensive submarine cable network.
The partnership aims to revolutionize the country’s telecommunications industry by bringing “the transformative power of 5G” to cities such as Alexandria, Aswan, Cairo, Giza and Luxor. Through this partnership, Nokia will deliver its comprehensive AirScale portfolio to provide Telecom Egypt’s customers with a superior network experience, including faster data speeds, improved performance and capacity. Deployment will begin later this year.
Under the agreement, Nokia will deploy 5G radio access network (RAN) equipment from its AirScale portfolio, consisting of baseband units and the latest generation massive MIMO radios. These products use Nokia’s ReefShark System-on-Chip technology, designed for energy efficiency, to deliver 5G capacity, coverage and ease of deployment. Nokia will also provide a range of professional services including implementation, integration and network optimization.
Elaborating on the new rollout, Nokia said 5G technology will bring a number of benefits to Telecom Egypt, including increased capacity for “seamless connectivity” in some of Egypt’s most densely populated areas, which is designed to support a wide range of applications and services, resulting in faster downloads, smoother streaming and improved network performance.
“This new agreement with Nokia further strengthens our strong partnership and reaffirms our commitment to providing cutting-edge digital services, positioning us at the forefront of the 5G revolution,” said Mohamed Al Fowey, vice president and chief technology officer at Telecom Egypt.
“Both our consumers and enterprise customers can look forward to enhanced mobile broadband and exciting new applications that take advantage of the speed and low latency of 5G technology.”
Nokia also said the partnership will enable unprecedented levels of innovation and efficiency across sectors, enabling organizations to thrive in today’s rapidly changing digital environment.
“This important 5G agreement with Telecom Egypt expands our long-standing partnership,” added Tomi Uit, president of Nokia’s Mobile Networks. “The introduction of 5G services enabled by our broad portfolio will create exciting new opportunities for Egyptian people and businesses to experience enhanced mobile connectivity. Our collaboration establishes a strong foundation for driving the country’s digital transformation.”
