Egypt’s telecoms companies increase tariffs by 10-15%

These new prices came into effect on Thursday, 28 December 2023, according to sources from the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) who spoke to Ahram Online.

Users of the country's four telecommunications providers -- Vodafone, Orange, Etisalat, and WE -- noticed a 10 to 15 percent increase in the cost of recharge cards.

While Etisalat users reported no change in the prices of prepaid plans, customers of Orange, Vodafone, and WE networks pointed out that the prices of their plans had risen by up to 15 percent.

Customers received text messages over the past few days notifying them that their monthly subscription plans have been increased starting from February bills. 

According to local media reports, these increases come after telecom companies urgently requested NTRA to allow them to review their pricing structures.

The reports also stated that, despite high inflation rates, telecom companies have not adjusted their prices for years. Therefore, the companies have recently sought permission to raise prices.

In November, Egypt's annual headline inflation dropped to 36.4 percent from 38.5 in the previous month, according to data released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). 

Nevertheless, the prices of wired and wireless communication services increased by 1.8 percent in November compared to the same period in the previous year.