Egypt is ranked 104th globally for fixed broadband penetration, according to the International Telecommunication Union's latest report released Monday. ITU stated that the fixed broadband penetration in Egypt stands at 3.3% out of its total population. Meanwhile, the report showed that Monaco is on the top of the list for fixed broadband penetration, exceeding 44.6%. The top ten countries in the world for fixed broadband penetration are all located in Europe, with the exception of the Rep. of Korea, in 6th place. In 2014, there are four economies where fixed broadband penetration exceeds 40%, up from just one (Switzerland) in 2013. Furthermore, ITU praised Egypt's national framework for broadband development, saying it could enable the best broadband coverage across the country. By 2021, Egypt is aiming to provide a nationwide broadband coverage, with estimated investments worth EGP 45 billion (US$6.3 billion). The Egyptian government has even started actual steps towards adopting the integrated infrastructure licence. ITU's report further referred that Egypt registers around 31.1% for active mobile-broadband subscriptions. The percentage of households with internet in Egypt amounts to 34.5%. In addition, the percentage of individuals using the internet in Egypt hit 49.6%. ITU (International Telecommunication Union) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs.
