Minister of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) Amr Talat agreed with the four telecom companies “Vodafone – Orange – Etisalat – Telecom Egypt” to offer several initiatives to support the educational system in the country after suspending schools and universities as precautionary measure against the Coronavirus. It was agreed to provide free access to the websites of the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, which are equipped to provide the educational content necessary to complete the educational process from distance without any additional financial burden on parents. Monthly download capacities for home internet subscriptions were also increased by 20% at a cost of EGP 200m to be borne by the state for all user segments in coordination with Internet service providers to support distance education and basic services. It was also agreed to provide free digital education platforms for school and university students in cooperation between the ministries of education and higher education as well as mobile operators in Egypt. The MCIT also directed towards taking all preventive measures in telecommunications companies to limit the spread of the Coronavirus and protect workers from infection. This came during a meeting held Sunday by the Minister of Communications with the heads of the four companies providing telecommunications services in the Egyptian telecommunications and information technology sector. The meeting also witnessed a review of international experiences in technology adaptation to ensure the continuity of work and maintain its efficiency, taking into account the precautionary measures to deal with the Coronavirus, which would require preventing gatherings and staying for longer periods at home, especially with regard to mechanisms for learning, working and remote shopping, and increasing reliance on electronic payment solutions via mobile. During the meeting, Talat emphasised that coordination is taking place with the Ministries of Education, Technical Education, and Higher Education in order to support “distance education methods” in the interest of students in various educational stages, stressing the importance of concerted efforts between the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority to regulate communications and telecommunications companies in order to provide the necessary support for the continuation of the educational process for students throughout the country. The meeting was attended by Raafat Hendy, Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology for Infrastructure Affairs and Supervisor of the General Secretariat Sector; Hossam El-Gamal, head of the NTRA; Hala El-Gohary, CEO of ITIDA; Adel Hamed, Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt; Yasser Shaker, CEO of Orange Egypt, Alexander Froman; CEO of Vodafone Egypt; and Hazem Metwally, CEO of Etisalat Misr.
