Egypt
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumers' connectivity experiences. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding what happens when people use their mobile and broadband connections in their daily life.
Egypt
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumers' connectivity experiences. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding what happens when people use their mobile and broadband connections in their daily life.
Key Findings
e& egypt users have the most reliable experience in Egypt
e& egypt is the new winner of the Reliability Experience award, replacing WE. e& egypt wins with a score of 792 points on a 100-1000 point scale and a lead of around 16 points over Vodafone and WE, which are statistically tied for second place. e& egypt’s victory was driven by a 48 point increase in its score from that seen in the last report, while WE's score has not changed by a statistically significant amount.
WE has the fastest mobile speed experience
WE successfully defends both its outright wins for Download Speed Experience and Upload Speed Experience from the last report. It now wins Download Speed Experience with a score of 25.8Mbps and a lead of around 9Mbps over the two operators that share second place (Vodafone's and e& egypt). In addition, our WE users saw the largest improvement in their average overall download speeds — a rise of 3Mbps. WE comes top for Upload Speed Experience with a score of 6.5Mbps and a lead of 2Mbps over second-placed e& egypt.
WE users enjoy the best Video Experience
WE continues to win the Video Experience award, doing so this time around with a score of 60.6 points on a 100-point scale and a lead of six points over second-placed Vodafone. In addition, WE is the only Egyptian operator to place in the Good (58-68) category, with its rivals placing one category lower — in Fair (48-58). A Good rating means that our users are, on average, able to stream video at 720p or better with satisfactory loading times and little stalling.
WE comes top for 4G Availability
Our WE 4G users continue to spend the largest proportion of time connected to 4G. This means that WE remains the outright winner of the 4G Availability award. It does so this time around with a score of 92.5% and a lead of around four percentage points over the two operators that share second place — Orange and Vodafone.
The best over-the-top voice app experience is with WE
WE is the outright winner of the Voice App Experience award. It wins with a score of 74.7 points on a 100-point scale and a lead of two points over second-placed Vodafone. Only WE places in the Acceptable (74-80) category; the other Egyptian operators place one category lower, in Poor (66-74).
Mobile Experience Awards
Market Overview
As was the case in the last report, WE dominates the national award table. However, it no longer wins all the awards (either jointly or outright) as e& egypt is the new outright winner of the Reliability Experience award. WE wins six out of a possible nine awards outright and shares the Games Experience and Availability awards with Vodafone and Orange, respectively.
In October 2024, the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) awarded Orange, Vodafone, and e& Egypt licences for providing 5G mobile services — under the same terms as the licence awarded to WE in January 2024. The value of the four licenses is estimated to be $675 million, as they also include the renewal of all licenses for older mobile technology and are valid for the next 15 years.
WE and Vodafone signed a number of infrastructure sharing agreements worth up to E£30 billion ($609 million) in November 2024. As part of these, WE will support Vodafone’s 5G rollout. They also include a four year agreement under which Vodafone will have access to WE’s fiber optic network.
Our users in other markets typically have a significantly better mobile experience on 5G than 4G, especially in terms of download speeds. However, rolling out 5G networks is typically the work of many years, with operators typically starting deployments in the largest cities, with the economics of deployment often being challenging in rural areas. An important decision for Egyptian operators will be whether to opt for 5G non-standalone access technology — the variant of 5G that was used in the first wave of 5G deployments across the globe and relies on a 4G core network — or the newer more advanced form, 5G standalone access (SA), which uses a 5G core network and allows techniques such as network slicing. SA makes it easier for operators to provide enterprises and vertical industries with bespoke connectivity tailored to their requirements and can allow operators to sell premium connectivity packages to users, especially at major events where there can be fierce competition for radio resources.
January 2025 saw the launch of Wi-Fi calling services in Egypt. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology said that the service will help address network coverage challenges where providing it is often challenging — e.g. those with narrow street and tall buildings.Talaat also said that by mid-2025, the government plans to have completed the roll-out of mobile network coverage across all highways and villages encompassed by the Haya Karima (Decent Life) initiative, which aims to improve living conditions in rural and underserved areas.
In this report we examine the mobile network experience of the four main mobile network operators in Egypt — e& egypt, Orange, Vodafone, and WE — over a period of 90 days starting on November 1, 2024, and ending on January 29, 2025, to see how they fared.
Overall Experience
National Analysis
WE continues to win the Video Experience award outright, doing so this time around with a score of 60.6 points on a 100-point scale and a lead of six points over second-placed Vodafone. e& egypt comes third with a score of 52.2 points, while Orange is in last place with 50.6 points.
Both Orange's and Vodafone's scores have increased by four points from those seen in the last report. e& egypt's and WE's score have risen by three points.
WE places in the Good (58-68) category, while Orange, Vodafone and e& egypt place one category lower, in Fair (48-58).
A Good (58-68) rating means that our users are, on average, able to stream video at 720p or better with satisfactory loading times and little stalling. A Fair (48-58) rating means that our users are, on average, able to stream video at 720p or better with satisfactory loading times and substantial stalling.
Video Experience scores account for adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR), a technology that allows Opensignal to accurately represent users' real video experience including video streams up to 4K quality.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Video Experience quantifies the quality of video streamed to mobile devices by measuring real-world video streams over an operator's networks. The metric is based on an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived video experience as reported by real people. To calculate video experience, we are directly measuring video streams from end-user devices and using this ITU approach to quantify the overall video experience for each operator on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions — including Full HD (FHD) and 4K / Ultra HD (UHD) — and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
In addition to Video Experience, we report on the following metrics related to video experience:
- 5G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Video Experience – 5G Users: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G video experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator’s 3G network.
National Analysis
WE has gone from winning the Games Experience award outright in the last report to sharing it with Vodafone. This is because their new scores of 46.1-46.6 points on a 100-point scale are statistically tied. The two joint winners have a lead of around two points over third-placed e& egypt. Orange is in last place with a score of 41.5 points.
Vodafone’s joint victory was driven by a three point increase in its score from that seen in the last report — aided by the fact that WE's score hasn't changed by a statistically significant amount. e& egypt's score has risen by two points, while Orange's has increased by one point.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Games Experience measures how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator’s network. Measured on a scale of 0-100, it analyzes how our users’ multiplayer mobile gaming experience is affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter.
Games Experience quantifies the experience when playing real-time multiplayer mobile games on mobile devices connected to servers located around the world. The approach is built on several years of research quantifying the relationship between technical network parameters and the gaming experience as reported by real mobile users. These parameters include latency (round trip time), jitter (variability of latency) and packet loss (the proportion of data packets that never reach their destination). Additionally, it considers multiple genres of multiplayer mobile games to measure the average sensitivity to network conditions. The games tested include some of the most popular real-time multiplayer mobile games (such as Fortnite, Pro Evolution Soccer and Arena of Valor) played around the world.
Calculating Games Experience starts with measuring the end-to-end experience from users’ devices to internet end-points that host real games. The score is then measured on a scale from 0 to 100.
In addition to Games Experience, we report on the following metrics related to games experience:
- 5G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Games Experience – 5G Users: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G games experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO) network.
National Analysis
WE wins the Voice App Experience award outright with a score of 74.7 points on a 100-point scale and a lead of two points over second-placed Vodafone. e& egypt comes third with a score of 71.8 points, while Orange is last with 70.9 points.
WE places in the Acceptable (74-80) category, while Orange, Vodafone and e& egypt place one category lower, in Poor (66-74).
An Acceptable (74-80) rating means that some users were satisfied. Perceptible call quality impairments were experienced by some users. Clicking sounds of short duration or distortion were heard, and/or the volume may not have been sufficiently loud. Listeners were generally able to comprehend without repetition. A Poor (66-74) rating means that many users were dissatisfied. Call quality impairments were experienced by many users. Distortion, clicking sounds or silence were experienced during the call. These were perceptible and may have been annoying.
Definitions
Opensignal's Voice App Experience measures the quality of experience for over-the-top (OTT) voice services — mobile voice apps such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger — using a model derived from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach for quantifying overall voice call quality and a series of calibrated technical parameters. This model characterizes the exact relationship between the technical measurements and perceived call quality. Voice App Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
In addition to Voice App Experience, we report on the following metrics related to voice app experience:
- 5G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Voice App Experience – 5G Users: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G voice app experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO) network.
National Analysis
Our WE users continue to experience the fastest overall average download speeds in Egypt. WE is therefore once again the outright winner of the Download Speed Experience award. It wins this time around with a score of 25.8Mbps and a lead of around 9Mbps over the two operators that share second place — Vodafone and e& egypt. Orange comes fourth with a score of 14.4Mbps.
WE has increased its lead over second-placed Vodafone from 8Mbps to 9Mbps compared to the last report, due to a 3Mbps increase in its score. Meanwhile, the runner-up Vodafone’s score has improved by 2Mbps. e& egypt’s and Orange’s scores have risen by 2Mbps and 1Mbps, respectively.
Definitions
Measured in Mbps, Download Speed Experience represents the typical everyday speeds a user experiences across an operator’s mobile data networks.
In addition to Download Speed Experience, we report on the following metrics related to download speeds:
- 5G Download Speed: The average download speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Download Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average download speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G download speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
National Analysis
As was the case in the previous report, WE is the outright winner of the. WE wins the Upload Speed Experience award. It wins this time around with a score of 6.5Mbps and a lead of 2Mbps over second-placed e& egypt. Vodafone is in third place with a score of 4.4Mbps, while Orange is last with 4.1Mbps.
e& egypt's, Vodafone’s and WE’s scores have all increased by less than 1Mbps from those seen in the last report. Orange's score hasn't changed by a statistically significant amount.
Definitions
Upload Speed Experience measures the average upload speeds for each operator observed by our users across their mobile data networks. Typically upload speeds are slower than download speeds, as current mobile broadband technologies focus resources on providing the best possible download speed for users consuming content on their devices. As mobile internet trends move away from downloading content to creating content and supporting real-time communications services, upload speeds are becoming more vital and new technologies are emerging that boost upstream capacity.
In addition to Upload Speed Experience, we report on five supporting metrics related to upload speeds:
- 5G Upload Speed: The average upload speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Upload Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average upload speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G upload speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
Coverage
National Analysis
Orange and WE are the only joint winners of the 4G Availability award, a change from last time when these two operators also shared the award with e& egypt. Orange and WE win with statistically tied scores of 97.3-97.7% and a lead of around less than one percentage point over third-placed e& egypt. Vodafone is last place with a score of 96.6%.
WE's score has increased by one percentage point from that seen in the previous report, while Orange's, e& egypt’s and Vodafone’s scores have all improved by less than one percentage point.
Definitions
Our availability metrics are not a measure of a network’s geographical extent. They won’t tell you whether you are likely to get a signal if you plan to visit a remote rural or nearly uninhabited region. Instead, they measure what proportion of time people have a network connection, in the places they most commonly frequent — something often missed by traditional coverage metrics. Looking at when users have a connection rather than where, provides us with a more precise reflection of the true user experience.
We also keep track of the instances that leave mobile users most frustrated: when there is no signal to connect to at all. The most common dead zones users struggle with occur indoors. As most of our availability data is collected indoors (as that’s where users spend most of their time), we’re particularly astute at detecting areas of zero signal.
Our availability metrics take a user-centric, time-based approach that complements the user-centric and geographical-based methodology used by our reach metrics.
Availability shows the proportion of time all Opensignal users on an operator’s network had either a 3G, 4G or 5G connection.
National Analysis
In the previous report, the award was won by WE. It wins the 4G Availability award outright with a score of 92.5% and a lead of around four percentage points over the two operators that share second place — Orange and Vodafone. e& egypt comes fourth with a score of 82.3%.
All four operators’ 4G Availability scores have risen by two percentage points compared to those seen in the previous report.
Definitions
Our availability metrics are not a measure of a network’s geographical extent. They won’t tell you whether you are likely to get a signal if you plan to visit a remote rural or nearly uninhabited region. Instead, they measure what proportion of time people have a network connection, in the places they most commonly frequent — something often missed by traditional coverage metrics. Looking at when users have a connection rather than where, provides us with a more precise reflection of the true user experience.
We also keep track of the instances that leave mobile users most frustrated: when there is no signal to connect to at all. The most common dead zones users struggle with occur indoors. As most of our availability data is collected indoors (as that’s where users spend most of their time), we’re particularly astute at detecting areas of zero signal.
Our availability metrics take a user-centric, time-based approach that complements the user-centric and geographical-based methodology used by our reach metrics.
4G Availability shows the proportion of time Opensignal users with a 4G device and a 4G subscription — but have never connected to 5G — had a 4G connection.
Consistency
National Analysis
WE keeps hold of the Consistent Quality award from the previous report, this time winning it with a score of 53.5% and a lead of four percentage points over second-placed e& egypt. Vodafone is in third place with a score of 48.9%, while Orange is last with 44.7%.
This metric measures if the network is sufficient to support common mobile application requirements at a level that is ‘good enough’ for users to maintain (or complete) various typical demanding tasks on their devices. It assesses a number of experience indicators such as download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet loss, and time to first byte.
Definitions
Consistent Quality measures if the network is sufficient to support common mobile application requirements at a level that is ‘good enough’ for users to maintain (or complete) various typical tasks on their devices.
We combine different experience indicators such as download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet discard, and time to first byte to calculate Consistent Quality. These components are evaluated against thresholds recommended by various more demanding common applications used for a range of common tasks.
To calculate the metric value, the proportion of tests that pass the requirements of Consistent Quality is multiplied by the test success ratio, which is the proportion of completed tests to all tests conducted. Tests that pass indicate that activities such as video calling, uploading an image to social media, or using smart home applications will be possible without noticeable lag or slowdown.
National Analysis
e& egypt is the new winner of the Reliability Experience award, replacing WE. e& egypt wins with a score of 792 points on a 100-1000 point scale and a lead of around 16 points over the two operators that share second place — Vodafone and WE. Orange comes fourth with a score of 731 points.
e& egypt’s victory was driven by a 48 point increase in its score from that seen in the last report, while WE's score has not changed by a statistically significant amount. However, our Orange users observed the largest increase in Reliability Experience — a rise of 52 points. Vodafone's score has increased by 40 points.
Opensignal’s Reliability Experience measures the ability of our users to connect to and successfully complete (basic) tasks on operators’ networks. It consists of the following components:
% time connected — The proportion of time Opensignal users can successfully connect to a mobile network
Data Connectivity — the proportion of time when the network is available and the device can connect to the internet
Task completion — whether tasks initiated by the user’s device are completed
Sufficiency — The probability that (basic) tasks will be executed sufficiently well for the user
Definitions
Opensignal’s Reliability Experience measures the ability of Opensignal users to connect to and successfully complete (basic) tasks on communication service providers’ (CSP) networks. It analyzes how much Opensignal users’ experience is affected by the radio access and core network, along with issues that prevent them from connecting to the internet even if they have a connection to their CSP’s network. It also factors in users’ ability to successfully use lower performance applications including SD video, over-the-top voice calls and web browsing.
Related Analysis
Our Methodology
Collecting billions of individual measurements daily from over 100 million devices globally, Opensignal independently analyzes mobile and broadband user experience on every major network operator around the globe.
About Opensignal
Opensignal is the leading global provider of independent insights into consumers' connectivity experiences and choice of carrier. Our proprietary insights into mobile and broadband networks give operators the solutions they need to profitably compete and win, from executive level scorecards and public validation to pin-point level engineering analytics and consumer decision dynamics.
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Confidence Intervals
For every metric we calculate statistical confidence intervals indicated on our graphs. When confidence intervals overlap, our measured results are too close to declare a winner. In those cases, we show a statistical draw. For this reason, some metrics have multiple operator winners.
In our bar graphs we represent confidence intervals as boundaries on either sides of graph bars.
In our supporting-metric charts we show confidence intervals as +/- numerical values.
Why confidence intervals are vital in analyzing mobile network experience