Telecom Egypt, Huawei announce partnership to deploy 5G services in Egypt:Telecom Egypt and Chinese tech giant Huawei have announced a strategic partnership for the deployment of 5G networks, the companies said in a joint statement (pdf). The partnership has enabled Huawei — a world leader in 5G technology — to establish 5G sites in “hotspot areas” throughout Egypt, the statement read.

The US may be less than pleased: The US and some European governments have long deemed Huawei to be a security risk due to its perceived ties to the Chinese government, which has promoted the US to issue a complete ban on the firm’s equipment sales and almost all EU member states putting restrictions on the company, according to Reuters. The US government continues to try to persuade wireless and internet providers in allied countries to avoid telecommunications-related equipment from the firm.

ICYMI: Telecom Egypt in January received the first license to install and operate 5G networks at a cost of USD 150 mn. The state-owned firm is set to start trial operations for its 5G services in the coming months, before rolling out services by the end of the year.

Implementing 5G services in Egypt could be highly significant: 5G can deliver speeds up to 100x faster than 4G with ultra-low latency that could allow everything from remote surgeries to super-fast downloads and a “true” internet of things. It’s slowly rolling out in developed markets, and when it works, it will be a game changer.

But, do Egyptians have the hardware to handle 5G? While currently only 8% of mobile phones in Egypt currently support 5G technology, Telecom Egypt CEO Mohamed Nasr said last month that he expects the figure to increase over the coming period.

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