The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat has opened the fourth round of the Future of Data Centers Summit 2022.
The Summit was attended by Ambassador of Rwanda, Ambassador of Uganda, the Deputy Sudanese Ambassador to Egypt, the Deputy ICT Minister for Institutional Development Ghada Labib, the Assistant ICT Minister for Global Information Infrastructure (GII) Mohamed Nasr Eldin, the Chairperson of Information Technology Institute (ITI) Heba Saleh, and a number of officials of major international companies specialized in data centers, cyber security and Artificial Intelligence (AI), with the participation of representatives of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
During his speech, the ICT Minister emphasized that the data center industry is a major component of building Digital Egypt. He referred to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) keenness to provide an added value and create an attractive environment for investments in the data center industry, especially in light of the advantages Egypt enjoys, including its distinguished geographical location.
The ICT Minister highlighted MCIT efforts to strengthen the information infrastructure, both at the national and international levels. Hence, two billion dollars have been invested to raise the efficiency of the Internet to make Egypt the fastest in Africa in the fixed Internet.
The ICT Minister also indicated that the third phase of implementing the fixed Internet development project is aimed at increasing the Internet speed, expanding the network, and increasing the number of beneficiaries in cities and countryside.
Talaat added that a frequency spectrum has been offered to mobile operators in Egypt. Work is underway to increase the number of cell towers nationwide. He stated that 18,000 out of 33,000 government buildings were connected with the fiber optic network nationwide to provide government services provided to citizens in a digital format, within the framework of the implementation of Digital Egypt network project. He also added that a project is also being implemented to extend the fiber optic network to the villages of the Decent Life initiative to provide high-speed Internet services to more than 3.5 million homes in more than 4,500 villages within the three phases of the initiative.
The ICT Minister showcased MCIT efforts to strengthen the international information infrastructure. The landing stations on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea coasts were increased from six to ten landing stations. Moreover, 10 new paths were created between the two Sea coasts to ensure the continuity of the network that transmits data between East and West. He also pointed out that a project has been completed to establish an information path parallel to Al-Murshideen Road to transmit data between East and West.
Talaat also pointed out that work has also started on the 2Africa and the South East Asia-Middle East-West Europe 6 (SEA-ME-WE 6) submarine cables for the transmission of inter-traffic between East and West, which will operate in 2024 and 2025. This is in addition to the Hybrid African Ring Path (HARP) system, which runs around Africa to provide Internet services to various countries of the Eastern and Western African coasts, and from them to the landlocked countries of the continent.
In addition, the ICT Minister showcased the efforts made to provide the legislative framework through the issuance of the Law on Combating Information Technology Crimes and the Law on the Protection of Personal Data. This is in addition to the regulatory framework for establishing and operating data centers issued by the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA). He referred to MCIT efforts to build digital capabilities in various ICT sciences, especially those related to the data center industry.
In his speech, Tarek Shabaka, the Chief Executive Officer at Mideast Communication Systems (MCS), which organized the Future of Data Centers Summit 2022, confirmed that the Summit, in its fourth round, has succeeded in achieving one of its significant objectives. This objective is represented in attracting the attention of international companies to the position, strength as well as the promising future of the Egyptian market.
Shabaka thanked MCIT, the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), and various MCIT affiliates for their support and constructive guidance for the Summit to make the Summit a success.
On the sidelines of the Summit, Talaat held a meeting with various major international companies specialized in data center management, storage solutions, and cyber security. He reviewed various investment opportunities in the ICT sector, including investment in data centers, in light of Egypt’s competitive advantages in this industry.
The ICT Minister also witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ITI and MSC to launch a joint training program to prepare specialized calibers in cyber security and data centers.
The MoU was signed by ITI Chairwoman Heba Saleh and MCS Chief Executive Officer Tarek Shabaka, in the presence of various MCIT and MCS officials.
