(Ecofin Agency) - Egypt wants to leverage digital tools for its socio-economic development. For that purpose, it can rely on its multiple foreign partners, who will help build the infrastructure required. 

The first phase of Orange Egypt’s NAC data center will be delivered next June. The information was disclosed, Sunday (May 15), by Hisham Mahran, Chief Enterprise Line Business Officer at Orange Egypt.   

The new infrastructure was designed and built by Orange Business Services, an Orange Group subsidiary specialized in providing telecommunications and IT services to businesses. It will host the NAC smart city platforms as well as protect and ensure data security.  

Hisham Mahran’s announcement comes some two years after Orange signed a US$135 million agreement with the  Administrative Capital For Urban Development (ACUD), which is the owner and developer of Egypt’s New Administrative Capital project. Under the agreement, Orange will build Africa’s largest data center in the NAC located 45 kilometers from Cairo, and deploy cloud computing platforms in the smart city being developed.   

The data center (to be managed by Orange Egypt for five years after completion) will enable ACUD to provide enhanced services such as smart traffic and utility management. It will also enable the provision of innovative services, including on-demand self-services for businesses and Triple Play services (Internet - fixed phone - TV) for residents.

Isaac K. Kassouwi