Telecom Egypt: Difference between revisions
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|Logo=We-seeklogo.png | |Logo=We-seeklogo.png | ||
|Type=Public (State-owned majority) | |Type=Public (State-owned majority) | ||
|Website=https://www.te.eg | |Website=https://www.te.eg/ | ||
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'''Telecom Egypt (WE)''' is the primary landline and a major internet and mobile service provider in Egypt. While publicly traded on the Egyptian Exchange, the company remains 80% owned by the Egyptian government through the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. Operating under the commercial brand "WE" since 2017, the company offers fixed-line, mobile, and internet services, while controlling key national infrastructure.<ref name="investor">{{cite web|title=Telecom Egypt - Investor Relations|url=https://ir.te.eg|access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref> | '''Telecom Egypt (WE)''' is the primary landline and a major internet and mobile service provider in Egypt. While publicly traded on the Egyptian Exchange, the company remains 80% owned by the Egyptian government through the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. Operating under the commercial brand "WE" since 2017, the company offers fixed-line, mobile, and internet services, while controlling key national infrastructure.<ref name="investor">{{cite web|title=Telecom Egypt - Investor Relations|url=https://ir.te.eg|access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref> | ||
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==Consumer Impact Summary== | ==Consumer Impact Summary== | ||
Telecom Egypt has been subject to criticism from users and independent watchdogs over a range of issues: | Telecom Egypt has been subject to criticism from users and independent watchdogs over a range of issues: | ||
* **User freedom**: Customers report SIM card registration problems, service downtimes without notice, and inconsistent access to account termination or switching providers. | *<nowiki>**User freedom**: Customers report SIM card registration problems, service downtimes without notice, and inconsistent access to account termination or switching providers.</nowiki> | ||
* **User privacy**: Egypt's telecommunications infrastructure has faced scrutiny for being vulnerable to state surveillance. Being government-owned, Telecom Egypt has not publicly addressed these concerns. | *<nowiki>**User privacy**: Egypt's telecommunications infrastructure has faced scrutiny for being vulnerable to state surveillance. Being government-owned, Telecom Egypt has not publicly addressed these concerns.</nowiki> | ||
* **Business model**: As a former landline monopoly, Telecom Egypt benefits from unfair infrastructural advantages when compared to other ISPs and mobile carriers that must lease infrastructure. | *<nowiki>**Business model**: As a former landline monopoly, Telecom Egypt benefits from unfair infrastructural advantages when compared to other ISPs and mobile carriers that must lease infrastructure.</nowiki> | ||
* **Market control**: Through WE, Telecom Egypt maintains dominant access to backbone fiber networks, creating potential anti-competitive bottlenecks for rivals. | *<nowiki>**Market control**: Through WE, Telecom Egypt maintains dominant access to backbone fiber networks, creating potential anti-competitive bottlenecks for rivals.</nowiki> | ||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
=== | ===Nationwide outage (''2023'')=== | ||
On July 4, 2023, thousands of users across Egypt reported widespread internet outages from WE. Downdetector and local reports confirmed the incident, but Telecom Egypt offered no official explanation until days later, citing "maintenance" after public outcry.<ref name="outage">{{cite web|title=Internet outage affects thousands of WE users in Egypt|url=https://enterprise.press/stories/2023/07/05/we-internet-outage-causes-uproar|access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref> | On July 4, 2023, thousands of users across Egypt reported widespread internet outages from WE. Downdetector and local reports confirmed the incident, but Telecom Egypt offered no official explanation until days later, citing "maintenance" after public outcry.<ref name="outage">{{cite web|title=Internet outage affects thousands of WE users in Egypt|url=https://enterprise.press/stories/2023/07/05/we-internet-outage-causes-uproar|access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref> | ||
===SIM | ===SIM swap and porting restrictions=== | ||
A growing number of users have reported difficulty transferring their numbers away from WE to other carriers. While mobile portability is legally required in Egypt, some users claim Telecom Egypt staff delay or reject requests without justification.<ref name="sim-port">{{cite web|title=Telecom Egypt accused of hindering mobile number portability|url=https://www.menabytes.com/telecom-egypt-mnp-issues|access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref> | A growing number of users have reported difficulty transferring their numbers away from WE to other carriers. While mobile portability is legally required in Egypt, some users claim Telecom Egypt staff delay or reject requests without justification.<ref name="sim-port">{{cite web|title=Telecom Egypt accused of hindering mobile number portability|url=https://www.menabytes.com/telecom-egypt-mnp-issues|access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref> | ||
===Privacy | ===Privacy concerns=== | ||
Digital rights groups like Access Now and EIPR have criticized Egypt's telecom ecosystem for enabling mass surveillance. While not directly confirmed, Telecom Egypt has been named in reports regarding deep packet inspection tools deployed on state internet infrastructure.<ref name="privacy">{{cite web|title=Egyptian ISPs deploying censorship and surveillance tech|url=https://www.accessnow.org/egypt-isp-surveillance/|access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref> | Digital rights groups like Access Now and EIPR have criticized Egypt's telecom ecosystem for enabling mass surveillance. While not directly confirmed, Telecom Egypt has been named in reports regarding deep packet inspection tools deployed on state internet infrastructure.<ref name="privacy">{{cite web|title=Egyptian ISPs deploying censorship and surveillance tech|url=https://www.accessnow.org/egypt-isp-surveillance/|access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref> | ||
==Products== | ==Products== | ||
* **WE Internet** – ADSL and fiber internet packages with bandwidth limits and FUP (fair usage policy) restrictions. | *<nowiki>**WE Internet** – ADSL and fiber internet packages with bandwidth limits and FUP (fair usage policy) restrictions.</nowiki> | ||
* **WE Mobile** – Mobile telecom services under Egypt’s fourth mobile license. Offers voice, data, and 4G. | *<nowiki>**WE Mobile** – Mobile telecom services under Egypt’s fourth mobile license. Offers voice, data, and 4G.</nowiki> | ||
* **Fixed-Line Services** – Legacy landline infrastructure; still the largest provider in Egypt. | *<nowiki>**Fixed-Line Services** – Legacy landline infrastructure; still the largest provider in Egypt.</nowiki> | ||
* **Data Hosting & Infrastructure** – Owns data centers and undersea cable landing points (e.g., SE-ME-WE 5). | *<nowiki>**Data Hosting & Infrastructure** – Owns data centers and undersea cable landing points (e.g., SE-ME-WE 5).</nowiki> | ||
==See also== | |||
*[[Vodafone Egypt]] | |||
*[[Etisalat Misr]] | |||
*[[Orange Egypt]] | |||
*[[Internet in Egypt]] | |||
*[[Censorship in Egypt]] | |||
== | ==References== | ||
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