Egypt's National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) said on Tuesday it will begin disconnecting mobile devices found to be making nuisance promotional calls in violation of official rules, starting August 24. The regulator said the move comes in response to mounting complaints from users and aims to safeguard consumers' privacy and rights. The NTRA introduced new rules last year requiring companies to register their numbers and promotional activities, enabling about one million lines to display caller identification when making marketing calls. This allows recipients to decide whether to answer or ignore them. The authority urged firms and individuals still making unregistered promotional calls via mobile or landline networks to quickly regularise their status with operators to avoid disconnection. The NTRA added it will also continue to pursue legal action against violators, warning that companies face fines and possible imprisonment under Egyptian telecommunications and cybercrime laws. Citizens can report violations through mobile operators' call centres, the NTRA hotline (155), the My NTRA app, or a dedicated website. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
