Decision to raise price of phone scratch cards could negatively impact MNOs

The 36% increase in prices imposed by the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) on mobile phone scratch cards may affect consumption of customers, the head of legal and external affairs at Vodafone Ayman Essam tells Daily News Egypt. The impact would be fully assessed until a full month had passed, he added. He insisted that mobile network operators are opposed to the NTRA’s decision. The authority had reportedly granted Telecom Egypt’s Ehna / We mobile network permission to offer a 30% discount on phone scratch cards. Other MNOs will not be allowed to make the same offer. And it looks like the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) may get involved, as officials from the NTRA will meet with the ECA this week to explain the recent price hikes and the offers, sources tell Al Borsa.