Telecom Egypt and Vodafone Egypt have signed multiple infrastructure service agreements, worth up to E£30 billion ($609 million).

The agreements will see Telecom Egypt support Vodafone's 5G rollout in Egypt.

As part of the agreement reached, Telecom Egypt will also extend its transmission services agreement with Vodafone until 2031.

According to Telecom Egypt, the deal with Vodafone is part of the company's strategy to monetize its network. This strategy, it adds, falls in line with Egypt's Vision 2030, which seeks to drive digital transformation.

Vodafone will also have access to Telecom Egypt's fiber optic network, as part of a four-year agreement. This will see Vodafone deploy the fiber at its mobile sites in Egypt.

On top of this, other agreements include access to Telecom Egypt's virtual fixed voice and Internet services.

“The agreements between Telecom Egypt and Vodafone Egypt are a testament to the significant progress made by the telecommunications and information technology sector in Egypt, particularly with the issuance of 5G service licenses to telecom operators," said Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology.

"As 5G technology relies on a robust fiber optic network to connect supporting towers, these agreements serve as the cornerstone for the 5G rollout, enabling both companies to work together to deliver enhanced services to citizens. It is also important to highlight the considerable efforts made in recent years to strengthen mobile network infrastructure."

Both Telecom Egypt and Vodafone have secured 5G licenses this year in Egypt, along with Orange and e&, worth approximately $675 million.

Talaat noted that Egypt's mobile carrier and tower companies have more than doubled the amount of telecom towers in the country in the past five years, taking the total past 36,000.

"This partnership reflects our commitment to leveraging the latest technological solutions that will enable us to provide high-quality services to our customers in Egypt," added Mohamed Abdallah, CEO of Vodafone Egypt.

"It also underscores our efforts to continue investing in the development of network infrastructure and the deployment of high-speed fiber optics. This is part of our ambitious vision, following our recent acquisition of the 5G services license with an investment exceeding $150 million."

At present, none of Egypt's four main carriers have launched 5G services, although Telecom Egypt has previously signed a deal with network vendor Nokia to deploy its 5G network.