Egypt is making significant progress towards a nationwide 5G rollout, but must accelerate spectrum allocation and foster adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to fully realise the technology's potential, according to Iwan Stella, Vice President and Head of Commercial Management & Strategy at Ericsson for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In an interview with Daily News Egypt, Stella welcomed Egypt's recent 5G licensing and network trials as "important steps," noting that modernisation initiatives and shared infrastructure are establishing a strong foundation. However, he emphasised the urgent need for more mid- and low-band spectrum to ensure reliable indoor coverage and scalable fixed wireless access (FWA) to meet both urban and industrial demand. "Operators will only be able to deliver the low-latency connections required by Egypt's expanding industrial sector once sufficient spectrum is made available," he said, stressing the importance of aligning with Egypt Vision 2030 through a phased rollout that balances cost efficiency with measurable milestones. While Egypt's digital infrastructure—including backhaul fibre networks and upgraded power systems—is largely 5G-ready, Stella noted that clear timelines for additional spectrum, particularly in contiguous mid-band ranges, will be critical for operators to complete network planning and accelerate deployment. He pointed to "try-and-buy" initiatives and software-as-a-service (SaaS) models as practical methods to encourage 5G adoption among SMEs. "Tiered service offerings—from basic connectivity for micro-enterprises to assured low-latency connections for advanced manufacturers—allow smaller businesses to scale services according to their needs," Stella explained. Ericsson views Egypt's strong digital maturity and regulatory momentum as key differentiators in the region. Its strategy includes dual-band deployment—low-band for broad national coverage and mid-band for high-demand areas—combined with AI-powered network optimisation managed from Ericsson's Cairo-based Analytics Hub. To ensure a sustainable rollout, Stella called for transparent spectrum planning, robust cybersecurity frameworks, and incentives to encourage the adoption of energy-efficient network technologies—aligning both commercial goals and environmental responsibilities. With Egypt gaining international recognition for its broadband advancements, Stella urged policymakers to support the migration of legacy 2G, 3G, and 4G users to 5G-enabled devices. "The quicker people and industries adopt 5G terminals—including FWA—the faster the return on investment. Once users experience high-performing 5G, they won't want to go back." Despite cost sensitivity among SMEs, Stella believes innovations such as network slicing and edge services offer a practical bridge to private 5G capabilities without requiring heavy upfront investment. "Egypt has all the ingredients to become a regional hub for 5G innovation," he said. "Ambitious infrastructure projects, a tech-savvy workforce, and a stable, secure spectrum policy can attract international R&D, cloud providers, and IoT manufacturers."
