Egypt to upgrade internet for 60 million people in major digital transformation drive

Egypt to upgrade internet for 60 million people in major digital transformation drive

H.E. Dr. Amr Talaat, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, has announced plans to provide more than 60 million people in rural areas with high-speed internet under an ambitious drive to unlock new pathways for economic growth. Speaking at the Egypt - International Cooperation Forum (Egypt-ICF) in Cairo, H.E. Talaat said the initiative is part of a nationwide effort to develop the digital economy and drive job creation. “We want to improve internet connectivity for 60 million Egyptians living in around 4,500 villages by upgrading broadband infrastructure,” the Minister said. “We plan to invest more than US$360 million to connect one million households with fiber-optic cables that will ensure youth can access the internet and thus the knowledge, training and career opportunities offered by the digital world.” Egypt has already invested more than $2 billion to increase average internet speed in major cities from 6.5 to 42.5 megabytes per second – a sevenfold increase in two years. The country will continue to upgrade its metropolitan internet infrastructure to level up its economy. Also speaking during the workshop entitled ‘The Demographic Divide: Youth and Innovation for Transforming Africa,’ H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation, said: “Africa