Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated the 20th round of Cairo’s ICT conference and exhibition on Sunday, announcing the launch of two technological sites in the Upper Egyptian city of Assiut and Alexandria's Borg El-Arab.
In his speech at the inauguration ceremony, President El-Sisi said that “finishing the two sites in less than one year with a [reduced labour capacity]… is an achievement.”
The president added that this project would provide 8,000 job opportunities at both sites in its first year.
“[These sites] will contribute to an increase in exports, whether from the software industry or the providing of telecommunications and information technology services, as well as encourage creativity and entrepreneurship and an increase in exports of electronic devices that will be produced in the factories to be established in these areas,” he added.
El-Sisi also highlighted the launch of the pilot phase of the fourth generation (4G) licenses on Sunday, saying that it would enhance the efficiency of wireless networks, data transfer services as well as the services needed in the business sector and networks in border areas in Egypt.
Egypt’s mobile operators Vodafone, Orange and Etisalat, along with Telecom Egypt (TE), the country’s sole landline operator, received 4G licenses in October, which will allow them to increase internet speed and launch virtual fixed line services.
The Egyptian president also referred to the implementation of phase one of a project aimed at creating a database to catalog the national IDs of Egyptian citizens.
The Cairo ICT conference, which will take place till 30 November, is a yearly event covering exhibitions, conferences and consumer and corporate activities for the public and private sectors organised by Trade Fairs International, according to the conference’s website.
