The Chronikler
EconomyEgyptTechnology

Egypt gets first free access internet portal

0 Comments Khaled Diab

A new $100 million internet service provider will give users in free access to the Internet for the first time, said the company's chairman.

“We have the necessary licensing and are finalising negotiations with Telecom Egypt to set up, for the first time, a free internet portal, with no subscription and charged at local rates,” said Basel Dalloul, CEO of new internet upstart, Noor. The portal brings Noor Advanced Technologies into a strategic alliance with US-based Cisco Systems and Japan's NCR, which Dalloul said will result in the most high-tech service provider in the region.

“Cisco is providing us with the latest they have, which is the most advanced in the ,” Dalloul said. He added that Noor and fixed-line state monopoly Telecom Egypt would be making an official announcement soon but declined to specify a date.

Dalloul's comments came during a news conference held at 's fifth annual Telecomp exhibition, which brings together telecom and IT firms operating in the Middle East. Speaking at the opening, Egypt's Telecommunications Minster Ahmed Nazif said internet subscriptions had risen over 60%, to 500,000, in the last year.

How the demons of trauma haunt the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Trending
How the demons of trauma haunt the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Noor and its partners said that content and integration are what will distinguish their portal from the competition. “The main concept behind Noor is content. Most of what you see in Egypt is service providers being only bandwidth providers,” Ghazi Attallah, a regional manager at Cisco, told me. “In addition to the usual US and European content, Noor will provide local content,” he added.

See also  Suez Cement may not lure foreign investors

“Noor will provide all the services, including e-commerce, that our corporate clients will need,” said Nidal Aboul-Latif, a regional manager at NCR.

They view Egypt as a launch pad for future expansion drives into the Middle East. “Egypt is the biggest potential market and the most accessible market in terms of deregulation in the region,” Attallah said.

“We've been looking at Egypt for over a year… The investment climate in Egypt is encouraging,” added Dalloul.

______

This article was first published by Reuters on 16 January 2001.

Author

  • Khaled Diab

    Khaled Diab is an award-winning journalist, blogger and writer who has been based in Tunis, Jerusalem, Brussels, Geneva and Cairo. Khaled also gives talks and is regularly interviewed by the print and audiovisual . Khaled Diab is the author of two books: Islam for the Politically Incorrect (2017) and Intimate Enemies: Living with Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land (2014). In 2014, the Anna Lindh Foundation awarded Khaled its Mediterranean Journalist Award in the press category. This website, The Chronikler, won the 2012 Best of the Blogs (BOBs) for the best English-language blog. Khaled was longlisted for the Orwell prize in 2020. In addition, Khaled works as communications director for an environmental NGO based in Brussels. He has also worked as a communications consultant to intergovernmental organisations, such as the and the UN, as well as civil . Khaled lives with his beautiful and brilliant wife, Katleen, who works in humanitarian aid. The foursome is completed by Iskander, their smart, creative and artistic son, and Sky, their mischievous and footballing cat. Egyptian by birth, Khaled's life has been divided between the Middle East and Europe. He grew up in Egypt and the , and has lived in , on and off, since 2001. He holds dual Egyptian-Belgian nationality.

    View all posts

See also  Jailhouse blog: In solidarity with Kareem Amer

For more insights

Sign up to receive the latest from The Chronikler

We don't spam!

For more insights

Sign up to receive the latest from The Chronikler

We don't spam!

You may also like

Khaled Diab

Khaled Diab is an award-winning journalist, blogger and writer who has been based in Tunis, Jerusalem, Brussels, Geneva and Cairo. Khaled also gives talks and is regularly interviewed by the print and audiovisual media. Khaled Diab is the author of two books: Islam for the Politically Incorrect (2017) and Intimate Enemies: Living with Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land (2014). In 2014, the Anna Lindh Foundation awarded Khaled its Mediterranean Journalist Award in the press category. This website, The Chronikler, won the 2012 Best of the Blogs (BOBs) for the best English-language blog. Khaled was longlisted for the Orwell journalism prize in 2020. In addition, Khaled works as communications director for an environmental NGO based in Brussels. He has also worked as a communications consultant to intergovernmental organisations, such as the EU and the UN, as well as civil society. Khaled lives with his beautiful and brilliant wife, Katleen, who works in humanitarian aid. The foursome is completed by Iskander, their smart, creative and artistic son, and Sky, their mischievous and footballing cat. Egyptian by birth, Khaled’s life has been divided between the Middle East and Europe. He grew up in Egypt and the UK, and has lived in Belgium, on and off, since 2001. He holds dual Egyptian-Belgian nationality.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

error

Enjoyed your visit? Please spread the word