The GSM Association (GSMA), the global trade body for the mobile industry, has awarded its Government Leadership Award 2008 to Egypt, in recognition of the steps taken by Egyptian regulators to encourage the growth of the mobile communications sector.
The award was presented to Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dr Tarek Kamel by Rob Conway, CEO and board member of the GSMA, in the presence of Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif at a gala dinner in Cairo.
The award is presented for exceptional work by governments in guiding mobile communications policy and regulation.
The GSMA noted the growth in subscribers in Egypt, which grew by ten million for the twelve months to the end of March this year, taking penetration rates from 29% to 43% marks one of the notable milestones.
Egypt's progress towards liberalization in voice, data and fixed line service was also highlighted, and the overall growth of the sector in the country, which now has the most GSM connections in Africa apart from South Africa, and the longest average time spent on mobile calls on the continent.
Minister Kamel said: "The growth and development in Egypt's mobile market is phenomenal. This is due to the collaborative effort exerted by all players in the industry; from regulation to infrastructure to operation to service provision. “
“The government of Egypt was keen to facilitate the progress of the mobile industry over the past few years. There is great room for further growth of this industry on the local scene. More importantly, I see innovation out of Egypt especially in mobile-related applications and technologies," added Dr. Kamel.
“I congratulate the Egyptian Government on the way it has enabled mobile communications to flourish to the benefit of its people and its economy,” said Mr. Conway.
“Not only has the Government had the foresight to issue 3G licenses ahead of many other developing countries, it has take an economically-sound and pragmatic approach to regulating connections between the country’s mobile and fixed networks to the ultimate benefit of Egypt’s people and its economy,” added Mr. Conway.
The GSM Association (GSMA) is the global trade association representing more than 750 GSM mobile phone operators across 218 countries and territories of the world. The Association's members represent more than three billion GSM and 3GSM connections - over 86% of the world's mobile phone connections.
The primary goals of the GSMA are to ensure mobile phones and wireless services work globally and are easily accessible, enhancing their value to individual customers and national economies, while creating new business opportunities for operators and their suppliers.
