Nokia C1-01 Phone Restricted Code

[Akinlolu Watters]

PresidentAbdel Fattah al-Sisi, who first took power in a 2013 coup, has governed Egypt in an increasingly authoritarian manner. Meaningful political opposition is virtually nonexistent, as expressions of dissent can draw criminal prosecution and imprisonment. Civil liberties, including press freedom and freedom of assembly, are tightly restricted. Security forces engage in human rights abuses with impunity. Discrimination against women, LGBT+ people, and other groups remain serious problems, as does a high rate of domestic violence.

The Egyptian government has made efforts to improve the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and increase the number of internet users, though internet connections continue to suffer from poor quality and low speeds. As of January 2022, internet penetration stood at 71.9 percent while the mobile phone penetration rate was 93.4 percent.

Mobile and broadband speeds remain relatively slow. According to Ookla data from June 2022, Egypt ranked 86th out of 138 countries for mobile internet speeds and 83rd out of 178 countries for fixed-line broadband speeds.1 Egypt also ranked 77th out of 130 countries in the 2021 Network Readiness Index, receiving its highest score in the governance pillar (trust, regulation, and inclusion).2 Such improvement is attributed to the 60 billion Egyptian pound ($3.82 billion) investment that the government has made to promote digital transformation and development.3

The National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has led reforms to upgrade the telecommunications infrastructure and increase internet speeds by installing fiber-optic cables. In November 2021, the NTRA approved new frequencies for mobile operators with the goal of enhancing the quality of voice and data services.4 In November 2018, the NTRA announced that more advanced fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks were expected to be launched in Egypt by 2020.5 In February 2019, Telecom Egypt partnered with Nokia to deploy 5G technology and test it in the Egyptian market.6 In September 2021, the cabinet's Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC) announced an agreement between the government and Exxon and Nokia to upgrade the cloud core network and provide 5G networks.7 In February 2022, service provider Orange received new frequencies to be used for 4G and 5G service deployment.

In September 2021, Telecom Egypt announced that it would improve the ICT infrastructure and secure access to high-speed internet services by providing fiber-optic networks to approximately 1,413 rural villages and towns. This project will impact more than one million buildings including around three million housing units.8 In November 2021, the IDSC further reported that public investments in digital transformation had increased by 62.8 percent to reach 12.7 billion Egyptian pounds ($806 million) in 2020 and 2021, a 4.9-billion-pound increase over the previous year. This includes the provision of internet services to 2,563 high schools at a cost of 1 billion Egyptian pounds ($63 million) and will connect 18,000 governmental buildings to fiber-optic cables with a budget of 6 billion Egyptian pounds ($380 million).9

While state-owned internet service provider (ISP) Telecom Egypt continues to dominate the sector, increased competition among mobile providers has caused a decrease in broadband prices. According to Cable, a London-based broadband comparison website, Egypt ranked ninth out of 220 countries on consumer broadband prices as of January 2022. Cable also reported that Egypt was one of the cheapest countries in the world for broadband packages, with an average price of $16.67.3 A monthly 140 gigabyte (GB) mobile package costs 120 Egyptian pounds ($7.61).4

In 2015, Facebook zero-rating services were provided by Emirati telecommunications firm Etisalat for two months, during which time three million internet users gained free access to the internet. The service was suspended shortly before the fifth anniversary of the 2011 revolution, which had been driven in large part by organizing on social media.9 Reuters reported that the zero-rating services were suspended because Facebook had refused to comply with a government request to help conduct surveillance.10 During the COVID-19 pandemic, some ISPs offered discounts on internet packages.11

Score Change: The score improved from 3 to 4 because no deliberate disruptions to the internet occurred during the coverage period, and Telegram, which experienced disruptions last year, was freely available.

The authority is subordinated to the MCIT, and the members of its board are selected by the prime minister, who also determines their salaries.2 The NTRA board is chaired by the ICT minister and includes representatives from the Ministries of Defense, Finance, and Interior; the National Security Council; the presidency; and trade unions, among others.3 Officially, the NTRA is responsible for ensuring a competitive market environment, managing the frequency spectrum, setting industry standards, and overseeing interconnection agreements.4 In addition, it aims to enhance and integrate advanced telecommunications and broadband technologies.5

The state continued to block news websites during the coverage period as part of a wider crackdown on freedom of expression. Through Article 7 of the Law on Combating Information Technology Crimes, the NTRA can order telecom companies to block websites.1

In November 2020, IFEX reported that at least 600 websites had been blocked by the authorities since May 2017, including 394 virtual private network (VPN) and proxy providers and 116 news sites.5 While some of these websites were blocked temporarily, others remained blocked throughout the coverage period.

Many international and local news sites are blocked, some of which have been blocked since the beginning of 2017. Blocked sites include Huffington Post Arabic, financial newspaper Al-Borsa, and the entire online publishing platform Medium, where blocked news outlet Mada Masr had reposted its content. Websites run by Human Rights Watch (HRW), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the April 6 Youth Movement (which was active in the 2011 revolution), and jailed democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah are also inaccessible.

In March 2019, the SCMR fined newspaper Al-Mashhad 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($3,200) and instituted a six-month website block after it allegedly defamed media figures by publishing inappropriate photographs,8 representing the first case of enforcement of the 2018 media regulation law. In April 2019, after Al-Mashhad appealed, the SCMR reduced the blocking duration to one month, though the site remained blocked for longer.9 In December 2018, five sites owned by MO4 were blocked for lacking licenses (see B6).10

Egyptian authorities also blocked alternative domains of websites that commented on the coronavirus in a way that did not conform to official information (see B5).18 In April 2020, Darb, a news outlet run by the opposition Socialist Popular Movement Party, was blocked a month after its launch. Darb had published calls for the release of prisoners of conscience during the pandemic.19

In recent years, the government has removed objectionable content from certain outlets. In August 2019, an article on poverty in Egypt by professor Mostafa El-Said was banned in the Al-Shorouk newspaper. The reason for the ban was not clear; the article relied on income and expenditure data published by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. El-Said announced via his Facebook account that the outlet did not impose the ban.1

Social media content is removed following demands from the government. Recently authorities have launched a systematic crackdown on female TikTok content creators (see B8 and C3).4 Progovernment lawyers have filed lawsuits against social media influencers, at times resulting in their content being deleted.5 In 2021 the SCMR ordered 212 Facebook accounts, 10 Twitter accounts, and 5 Instagram accounts to be blocked, although it is unclear whether social media companies complied with the ruling.6

News outlets regularly remove articles from their own websites. In May 2018, the Arabic website of Russian state broadcaster RT was pressured to remove an online poll it had posted regarding the disputed territories of Halayeb and Shalateen on the Egyptian-Sudanese border. The poll had drawn formal rebukes from the State Information Service (SIS) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and triggered the cancellation of an interview with the foreign minister.7

A May 2018 Supreme Administrative Court decision limited the ability of administrative courts to restrict executive orders for online censorship and facilitated new legislation granting judicial and executive bodies, including the NTRA,1 the right to block websites on national security grounds.2

In August 2018, a few months after the ruling, President Sisi signed a law to combat cybercrime and a law on media regulation.3 The cybercrime law, Law No. 175 of 2018 (see C2), allows state authorities to block websites without a judicial order on national security or economic grounds, which are vaguely defined. Personnel at service providers that do not respond swiftly to blocking decisions could face prison and fines.4 The government claimed that the law was meant to combat online theft and hacking.5 The media regulations law, Law No. 180 of 2018 (see B6 and C2), requires that news sites obtain an SCMR license. However, whether blocked websites are able to apply for one, and whether they would remain blocked after obtaining one, is unclear.6

Harassment also leads people to self-censor. In July 2020, a gay man was harassed on Facebook for his sexual orientation and was later assaulted offline. He temporarily closed his account after receiving intimidating messages and death threats (see C7).2

A study published by the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) in June 2020 found that, news outlets refrain from publishing content critical of the government for fear of website blocks, or of further retaliation if they are already blocked.3

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