Within the framework of the keenness of the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) to support the users’ rights and ensure the provision of high-quality telecom services in the Egyptian market, the NTRA has issued its fourth-quarter Report on “The Telecom Service Users’ Complaints Tracking and Follow-up System” (for the period from October to December 2020). It displays the most significant indicators for the complaints filed by the users of mobile, fixed and fixed internet services. The report mentions as well the rate of complaint resolution and the average time taken to resolve a complaint after its escalation to the NTRA.

The NTRA receives complaints from telecom service users against their service providers round the clock, via various channels:

the NTRA’s Call Center (#155), in addition to electronic means of communication that the NTRA has introduced to facilitate communication with users and provide non-traditional channels for receiving complaints. Chief among these non-traditional channels are the NTRA’s website, its pages on the social networking sites and the Instant Messaging App (WhatsApp). This has led to the submittal of 54,563 complaints during the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to 51,318 complaints received during the previous quarter, with an increase of 6%. The report has highlighted many significant points, most importantly the following:

• Around 54,563 complaints were escalated to the NTRA against their service providers, including: 15,798 mobile phone complaints, 25,548 fixed internet complaints, and 11,939 fixed phone complaints in addition to 1,278 complaints about mobile devices.
• Around 78% of the complaints were received through the NTRA’s Call Center (155), 14% of them were received through the NTRA’s website, 6% thereof were received through instant messaging app (WhatsApp), and 2% through the NTRA’s pages on social media platforms.
• User complaints resolution indicators improved during the fourth  quarter, as the rate of complaints resolution rose after their escalation to the NTRA to 96% and the average complaint resolution time is 2.18 days.
• The rate of the successfully ported mobile numbers rose to 95% in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to 86% in the previous quarter, as about 110,000 mobile numbers were successfully ported from one operator to another in the fourth quarter, compared to only about 54,000 numbers in the third quarter of 2020.
• The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority launched the toll-free short code *155# to enable users to report any incidents of their subscription to services without obtaining their consent. This new service allows the users to inquire about or cancel their subscription to value-added services (VASs) with the four operators. This includes the entertainment services provided, such as the promotional contests or the news and sports services, or electronic games, etc. The code has been used for 904,925 times for queries/cancellation since this service was launched on the first of January.
• The NTRA investigated users’ financial complaints against their service providers after their escalation thereto.The operators paid to the users “an amount of 970 thousand Egyptian pounds” after investigations proved their entitlement to it. It should be noted that 55% of this amount were related to mobile calls complaints (balance or invoices), 7% were related to complaints about mobile internet services, 6% were related to services users were subscribed to involuntarily, 3% were related to roaming complaints, 29% were related to undue claims. The amounts were refunded by the service providers as follows: 49% Vodafone Egypt, 42% Orange, 6% Etisalat, and 3% WE.

The following is a detailed summary of the complaints about mobile devices, and mobile and fixed internet services:

Firstly, Complaints of Mobile Device Users against their Service Providers:

The total number of complaints escalated to the NTRA by mobile device owners against vendors or agents is 1,278 complaints during the fourth quarter of 2020. The rate of complaints resolution amounts to 85%, and the average time taken to resolve a complaint has been 4.5 days.

The most significant complaints of mobile device users are as follows: Around 41% of the grievances submitted were about technical inspection results, 35% thereof were about delayed device maintenance, 14% were about device replacement rejection, and 10% of the grievances were about recurring defects in the devices after their repair.

The average complaint resolution time for each agent was as follows: 1.8 days for Sky company, 2.6 days for Safi company, 5.2 days for Raya Distribution Company, 5.7 days for I2 company, and 5.7 days for Roya company.

Secondly, Complaints of mobile phone service users against their service providers:

The rate of mobile phone complaints is 17 complaints per 100,000 subscribers; the rate of complaints resolution after their escalation to the NTRA amounts to 94.4%, and the average time taken to resolve a complaint has been 1.2 day.

• Vodafone: the rate of mobile phone complaints received against Vodafone is 16 complaints for every 100,000 subscribers. The rate of complaints resolution after their escalation to the NTRA amounts to 94.2%, whereas the average time taken for resolving a complaint is 0.93 day. The most important complaints of mobile phone users against Vodafone have been as follows: 28% (MNP), 25% (service quality), 18% (e-wallets), 16% (invoices/balance), 5% (for incidents in which users subscribed to services without their consent).
• Orange: the rate of mobile phone complaints received against Orange is 19 complaints for every 100,000 subscribers, and the rate of complaints resolution after their escalation to the NTRA amounts to 94.5%, and the average time taken for resolving a complaint is 1.38 day. The most important complaints of mobile phone service users against Orange have been as follows: 43% (MNP), 15% (invoices/balance), 13% (service quality), 12% (for incidents in which users subscribed to services without their consent) and 9% (e-wallets).
• Etisalat: the rate of mobile phone complaints received against Etisalat is 16 complaints for every 100,000 subscribers. The rate of complaints resolution after their escalation to the NTRA amounts to 93.8%, whereas the average time taken for resolving a complaint is 1.48 day. The most important complaints of mobile phone service users have been as follows: 45% (MNP), 18% (e-wallets), 13% (service quality), 11% (invoices-balance), and 2% (for incidents in which users subscribed to services without their consent).
• WE: the rate of mobile phone complaints received against WE is 22 complaints for every 100,000 subscribers. The rate of complaints resolution after their escalation to the NTRA amounts to 97.8%, whereas the average time taken for resolving a complaint is 1.37 day. The most important complaints of mobile phone service users have been as follows: 49% (MNP), 15% (service quality), 12% (invoices-balance), 5% (e-wallets) and 5% (for incidents in which users subscribed to services without their consent).

Thirdly, Complaints of Fixed Internet Service Users against their Service Providers:

The rate of fixed internet service complaints is 314 complaints per 100,000 subscribers, and the rate of complaints resolution after their escalation to the NTRA amounts to 97.1%. The average time taken for resolving a complaint is 2.65 days.

• Vodafone: the rate of complaints received against Vodafone is 746 complaints for every 100,000 subscribers. The rate of complaints resolution after their escalation to the NTRA amounts to 99.8%, whereas the average time taken for resolving a complaint is 0.6 day. The most important complaints of fixed internet service users against Vodafone have been as follows: 79% (difficulty subscribing to the internet services), 11% (service quality), 7% (unsatisfactory customer service), and 3% (invoices-balance).
• Orange: the rate of complaints received against Orange is 974 complaints for every 100,000 subscribers. The rate of complaints resolution after their escalation to the NTRA amounts to 97.3%, whereas the average time taken for resolving a complaint is 1.7 day. The most important complaints of fixed internet service users against Orange have been as follows: 68% (difficulty subscribing to the internet services), 23% (service quality), 5% (invoices-balance), and 1% (unsatisfactory customer service).
• Etisalat: the rate of complaints received against Etisalat is 1081 complaints for every 100,000 subscribers. The rate of complaints resolution after their escalation to the NTRA amounts to 99.8%, whereas the average time taken for resolving a complaint is 2.4 days. The most important complaints of fixed internet service users against Etisalat have been as follows: 90% (difficulty subscribing to the internet services), 6% (service quality), 3% (invoices-balance), and 1% (unsatisfactory customer service).
• WE: the rate of complaints received against WE is 142 complaints for every 100,000 subscribers. The rate of complaints resolution after their escalation to the NTRA amounts to 93.1%, whereas the average time taken for resolving a complaint is 4.8 days. The most important complaints of fixed internet service users against WE have been as follows: 83% (service quality), 11% (difficulty subscribing to the internet services), 5% (invoices-balance), and 1% (unclear marketing offers).