MNOs brace for slump in sale of new lines after increase in regulatory fees

Mobile network operators are bracing a slump in the sale of new lines after the government’s recent decision to hike regulatory fees for new mobile lines to EGP 70 from EGP 20, industry sources tell Al Mal. The piece includes the usual hyperbole, this time taking the form of unspecified claims that the fee hike will result in EGP 2 bn in “losses” to the industry. Orange Egypt VP Ashraf Halim had previously said that MNOs are already hurting from the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority’s decision forcing MNOs to sell new phone lines only through their own distribution channels rather than third parties as part of a bid to ensure there is full KYC data on each line.