The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Egypt (NTRA) imposed a fine of EGP 20 million on Telecom Egypt upon monitoring a breakdown in telecom infrastructure and disconnection of voice and internet services across different areas on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. Operators were also directed by NTRA to provide compensations for affected customers, in accordance with the public compensation rules issued by NTRA to operators, to ensure that users’ rights are protected in case of service-breakdowns.

NTRA had urgently formed a technical committee once the breakdown occurred, to determine its causes, range of impact, time duration, as well as the areas affected, until service was properly restored to all areas. Meanwhile, the decision of imposing a fine was made based on a report drafted by the committee.

Furthermore, the technical committee will carry on work with internet service providers to have a clear image about how impactful such a breakdown was on services, and take whatever actions necessary to protect users’ rights.

It’s worth noting that NTRA affirmed it’s important that all measures must be taken to ensure services are seamlessly provided and avoid any network breakdowns that put users at the risk of being harmed. As pointed out by NTRA, measures should be also taken to meet the users’ needs, protect their rights and raise their level of satisfaction with the services utilized.