Telecom Egypt signed a national roaming agreement with Orange Egypt as part of its preparations to launch mobile services.

A Memorandum of Understanding will see Telecom Egypt able to offer 2G, 3G and 4G services through Orange’s network.

Services will also be provided through Telecom Egypt’s own radio network, which is currently being built-out across the country and will reduce its reliance on agreements with other operators.

In a statement, Telecom Egypt said it was also in the process of developing its business support systems including billing, point of sale and customer relationship management facilities.

Ahmed El Beheiry, MD and CEO of Telecom Egypt said: “We have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that Telecom Egypt is ready to launch commercial operations as swiftly and smoothly as possible.

“This Agreement signals the strength of our commercial cooperation with Orange Egypt. We have reached commercial terms on 2G, 3G and 4G access as well as transmission services.”

Egypt’s incumbent fixed operator gained a mobile licence in August 2016 and signed up to provide 4G services in October.

The company is one of the largest telecoms providers in the region with 6.5 million subscribers across its markets. However, its presence in the mobile sector is currently limited to a 44.95 per cent stake in Vodafone Egypt.