The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) of Egypt has conducted a series of judicial raids across Greater Cairo and several Upper Egypt governorates, including El-Minya and Luxor. These operations, coordinated with the Telecom and National Security Investigation Departments and following approvals from the concerned prosecution, resulted in the dismantling of two illicit telecom networks. The raids led to the confiscation of 5 antennas, 152 routers, numerous computers managing internet services, and other equipment designed to illegally distribute internet services to over 3000 subscribers for financial gain.
This activity violates Article 21 of the Telecommunication Regulation Law No. 10 of 2003, which prohibits the establishment or operation of telecommunication networks and services without a proper license from the NTRA. According to Article 72, offenders face penalties ranging from six months to five years in prison, along with fines between fifty thousand and five hundred thousand Egyptian pounds.
Additionally, the operations in Cairo and Assiut led to the seizure of a large number of SIM cards sold outside official telecom outlets, devices used to activate mobile lines, and many photocopies of national ID cards. These practices are considered violations of regulatory frameworks governing the sale and activation of mobile phone lines in Egypt.
These enforcement actions reflect NTRA’s commitment to regulating and controlling the telecommunications market, eliminating illegal activities that undermine the quality of services provided to users. NTRA emphasized its ongoing commitment to conducting regular inspections to uphold telecommunications laws throughout Egypt, thereby safeguarding the rights of telecom users.
