The total gross domestic product (GDP) of the telecommunications and information technology sector increased by 5.2% during the first quarter of 2015, compared to the same period last year. According to a report by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the total GDP increased from EGP 13.13bn during the first three months of 2015 to EGP 13.8bn during the same period of 2016. The report showed that the contributions of the communications and information technology sector to the GDP increased to 3.1% during the third quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2015/2016, compared to 3% during the same period of FY 2014/2015. According to the report, the number of communications and information technology companies established during the first quarter of 2016 reached 844, with a capital worth EGP 364.1m. The cost of communication services have slightly increased during the first quarter of 2016 compared to the fourth quarter of 2015. The cost of ADSL internet services per user increased from $6.2 in the fourth quarter of 2015 to $6.4 in the first quarter of 2016. Phone service costs per user increased from $2.6 to $2.7 during the first quarter of 2016, and fixed telephone services per user increased from $2.05 to $2.07 during the same period of 2016. ADSL prices per user witnessed a significant increase during the first quarter of 2016, compared to the same period in 2015. Prices declined from $10.08 during the first quarter of 2015, recording $6.4 during the first quarter of 2016. The decline was 36.3%.
