• Egypt allocates extra 410 MHz spectrum, valued $3.5 billion, supporting 5G expansion

• Government launches National Spectrum Roadmap 2026-2030 to optimize spectrum management

• 5G rollout requires infrastructure investment; adoption depends on devices, affordability, skills

Egyptian authorities have allocated an additional 410 MHz of frequency spectrum to the country’s four mobile network operators. Worth an estimated $3.5 billion, the allocation is intended to support the expansion of telecommunications services, with a focus on 5G.

The allocation was finalized on Saturday, Feb. 7, under an agreement signed between the government and telecommunications operators. During the event, authorities also launched the National Spectrum Roadmap 2026-2030, aimed at guiding the management and optimization of spectrum over the medium term.

According to the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, maximizing spectral capacity is one of the two main drivers of mobile service development, alongside network infrastructure deployment. Before 2019, total spectrum available to mobile operators in Egypt stood at 272 MHz, allocated over more than 20 years. Between 2019 and 2022, the state assigned an additional 140 MHz, bringing total capacity to 412 MHz.

The new allocation follows the commercial launch of 5G in June 2025, which authorities have described as a key driver of the country’s digital transformation. According to the GSMA, full-power licensed spectrum has played a central role in the global rollout of 5G to date, enabling wider coverage, supporting high-quality services, and encouraging network investment. To support the full range of 5G use cases, operators require spectrum distributed across low-, mid-, and high-frequency bands.

“Low-band spectrum (below 1 GHz) ensures digital equality by providing rural and deep indoor coverage, while midbands (1–8.4 GHz) deliver city-wide capacity and support applications like smart cities and advanced manufacturing. High bands (above 24 GHz) offer ultra-fast speeds and low latency for high-capacity hotspots, complementing the broader coverage of lower bands,” the GSMA said in a study published in January 2026.

Beyond spectrum availability, telecommunications operators will need to make substantial investments in physical infrastructure to ensure effective 5G deployment. A 2022 Ericsson study estimates the base cost of rolling out 5G in a country at between $3 billion and $8 billion, with an additional 20% to 35% required to extend network coverage.

Finally, the availability of 5G does not guarantee adoption. Uptake will depend on several factors, including access to compatible devices, the affordability of operators’ offerings, digital skills levels, and the relevance of available use cases and content.

Isaac K. Kassouwi