By : Bakinam Khaled 

Eng. Hossam El-Gamal, Executive President of the National  Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Egypt (NTRA), received today Dr. Cosmas Zavazava, Director of Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), during his visit to Egypt in response to the invitationextended by NTRA’s Executive President to Dr. Zavazava to visit Egypt and recognize the Egyptian model to provide and disseminate telecom services within the national project, “Haya Karima,” which aims at  developing Egypt’s countryside. To this end, both sides set off on a tour in 

some villages of “Shibin Al-Qanater” in Al-Qalyubiah, which are targeted 

by “Haya Karima.” The tour was made in the presence of Mr. Ahmed 

Badawy, Chief of Telecommunication and Information Technology 

Committee in Egypt’s Parliament, and Parliament members: Mr. Samir 

Sobhy, Mr. Mostafa El-Qammar, and Mr. Medhat El-Qammar. The 

tour was also attended by Dr. Samir Hammad, Deputy-Governor of Al-

Qalyubiyah Governorate, as well as Eng. Mohamed Nasr, Chief 

Executive Officer of Telecom Egypt, and aimed to introduce the efforts of 

the Egyptian State to deploy and reinforce landline and mobile 

infrastructure. It also meant to review the efforts exerted by the State to raise awareness, build capacities, and educate citizens on how to use digital 

services in order to achieve digital and financial inclusion. 

Eng. Hossam El-Gamal, NTRA’s Executive President, clarified that within 

the efforts made by most countries to tighten the divide between urban and 

rural areas in terms of utilities and public services provided to citizens, in 

line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, the Egyptian State 

adopted a methodology that takes the side of citizens as it has not only 

sought to tighten the divide but also to fully bridge it. Eng. Hossam El-

Gamal also expressed that the ITU was keen on recognizing Egypt’s 

pioneering model to provide connectivity at rural areas in order to achieve 

digital inclusion, improve the quality of life, achieve integration among all 

utilities and public services for all citizens, and empower all segments of 

society to become a part of the different State’s programs and projects,

through reinforcing and facilitating digital services at unconnected areas as 

well as providing an information infrastructure, being integrated rights for 

all citizens alongside other basic utilities. It’s worth noting that “Haya 

Karima” is utilized by 58 million citizens most of which are living in Egypt’s 

countryside, and was praised by many international organizations 

concerned with development; it was classified by the United Nations as one 

of the best developmental initiatives worldwide.

Furthermore, Eng. Hossam El-Gamal explained that NTRA, during the 

Initiative’s first phase, implemented a plan through Universal Service Fund (USF), in cooperation with the private sector represented by the licensed 

operators in Egypt’s market, to make sure all individuals of society have

access to telecom services. The plan entailed the intensification of mobile 

coverage in “Haya Karima” villages by establishing 1096 new mobile 

stations, 594 of which were funded by NTRA via USF, by a 43%-increase 

in the number of mobile stations covering phase 1- villages. This step took 

place to boost 4G voice and mobile internet coverage for 899 villages 

within phase 1, at a total cost of EGP 4 billion, and modernize 576 existing 

mobile stations.

From his side, Dr. Cosmas Zavazava, Director of ITU-

Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), praised Egypt’s model 

to provide connectivity and telecom services and bridge the digital divide, 

describing it as a pioneering model that is looked up to, particularly in rural 

areas where telecom services are much needed. He also pointed out that the 

ITU backs the objectives of “Haya Karima” Initiative since they are aligned 

with his vision and the goals of the ITU's Development Sector (ITU-D) 

goals, namely: achieving digital inclusion, bridging the digital divide and 

accelerating digital transformation to achieve social as well as economic 

development for all people.

During the tour, both sides visited the Government Service Center in 

Shibin Al-Qanater to identify its capacity and role in providing digital 

services to citizens and reviewed the projects of reinforcing landline and mobile networks infrastructure in the village of “Arab El-Sawalha.”

Eventually, training and education programs at the primary school of “Al-

Ahraz” Village were also reviewed.

It’s noteworthy that Dr. Cosmas Zavazava took office as Director of the 

ITU/BDT on January 1, 2023, with an experience of more than 30 years 

in telecommunications. Prior to his election as BDT Director, he oversaw 

development-related projects, strategic partnerships and took part in 

launching new initiatives that boosted capacity-building and the 

engagement of private-sector in development