Saudi Telecom shows interest in Egyptian 4G license

Saudi Telecom Co. (STC) and China Telecom Corp. are said to have expressed interest in acquiring 4G licenses offered by the Egyptian government, a communications ministry official told Bloomberg.

Both operators join Kuwait’s Zain – which made an official request last week – in showing interest in the country’s telecom sector.

The kingdom’s largest mobile operator and China’s third-largest carrier are yet to make formal requests, the official explained.

Egypt’s telecom regulator has reportedly approached Orange Egypt, Vodafone Egypt, and Etisalat about potentially buying 4G licenses, as the country pushes ahead with plans to reform the sector.

Interest from newcomers is expected to add pressure on the three providers to accept licensing terms before the government’s deadline, which falls during the first week of August.

In the event that the current operators are not interested in the licenses, they will be offered to new players, the official added.

Operators keen on obtaining a license will have to pay half its value in US dollars, the government has said – a move that may be prompted by Egypt’s foreign currency shortage.