The National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has started implementing an urgent plan to expand cell phone coverage on five main roads.

NTRA will launch a limited tender for companies licensed to establish and operate mobile phone base stations at a cost of EGP 324m. The service will start operating by 2022. The authority will finance the project through the Universal Service Fund (USF).

USF is a fund concerned with financing the projects of the national communications and information technology plans and the infrastructure projects necessary to provide basic telecommunications services.

This comes within the framework of the role of NTRA in developing and disseminating telecommunications services throughout the country, with the aim of enhancing national and social cohesion and achieving economic growth. It is also part of the national project to cover main roads with mobile service and providing basic communication services and road aid on strategic roads across Egypt.

NTRA explained in a press release today that these measures include providing mobile phone coverage in strategic roads in the governorates of Ismailia, Suez, New Valley, Aswan, Giza, Beni Suef, and Minya.

The first road is extending across the 30th of June axis from Cairo-Ain Sokhna Road to the Cairo-Ismailia Desert Road, connecting the governorates of Ismailia and Suez. The second road is the Paris Lake spillway road in the New Valley governorate. The third road connects Aswan-Abu Simbel Road to Arqin in Aswan governorate. The fourth road is Al-Kuraymat Road to Beni Suef, linking Giza Governorate with Beni Suef. The Fifth road connects the Cairo-Assiut Desert Road and Cairo-Aswan Eastern Desert Road in Minya governorate.

NTRA, through the help of USF, previously financed projects to establish, operate, and provide mobile phone services for 17 strategic roads across the country, with a total length of 2,700 km and a cost of EGP 862m within the framework of an integrated plan to cover new roads with telecommunications services.