Aswan: Khaled Hassan
Ayman El-Saadany, Head of Government Relations and Public Policy at Vodafone Egypt, confirmed in response to a question from "Digital World" regarding the impact of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority's (NTRA) and Customs Authority's decision to exempt imported mobile phones from customs duties, that they had contacted the NTRA before the customs decision on imported phones was issued. The aim was to emphasize the necessity of making locally manufactured smartphones available at affordable prices for local users. This would positively impact the development of the local telecommunications market, which requires smartphones capable of handling 5G mobile technology.
This came during the Vodafone Egypt - Aswan 2026 Annual Media Forum, currently being held for three days, with the participation of Mai Yassin, Head of External Communications and Sustainability at Vodafone Egypt, and approximately 100 journalists specializing in communications, information technology, and economics. She added that following the issuance of the decision, they are in contact with the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) to assess its impact on the mobile phone market and to develop innovative solutions to make all categories of smartphones available to users.
She explained that one solution is to allow payment of customs duties in installments over six months and to reach an agreement with mobile phone manufacturers in Egypt to produce and make available high-specification phones, thus providing an alternative to importing mobile phones from abroad.
El-Saadani explained that Vodafone Egypt witnessed a number of positive results during the second half of 2025, with the number of users on its network exceeding 53 million customers.
The company's revenues also exceeded EGP 55 billion in the second half of 2025, representing a growth rate of 46% compared to the same period in 2024.
Regarding the company's efforts in launching 5G services, the Head of Government Relations and Public Policy at Vodafone Egypt explained that 3,000 5G towers have already been installed across all governorates, from Alexandria to Aswan, representing 30% of the total existing towers.
Concerning the possibility of providing unlimited internet services, El-Saadani confirmed that this matter has not been discussed with the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA). He noted that while only a limited number of countries worldwide offer unlimited internet services, Egypt is committed to the decisions and regulations set by the NTRA.
