CAIRO, Oct. 13 (Aswat Masriya) - Telecom company Orange Egypt expressed to National Telecom Regulatory Authority its willingness to get a 4G license under new conditions, the company said in statement published on Egypt’s stock market on Thursday.

Orange Egypt, subsidiary to international service provider Orange Group, decided last month against applying to acquire the 4G license under the conditions established by the authority.

It however expressed willingness to get the license under new conditions.

The National Telecom Regulatory Authority said that Orange requested to conduct negotiations with the authority to get the 4G license.

Egypt’s bourse resumed trading the company’s shares after it was stopped pending clarification regarding its position to get a 4G license. 

The authority gave Orange Egypt until October 23 to complete the procedures needed to get 4G license in accordance with the conditions already established by the authority.

Companies interested in acquiring the 4G license should pay half the amount in dollars and the other half in Egyptian pounds, according to the conditions set forth by the authority. 

It recently added a condition compelling telecom companies to pay the amount of acquiring an international gateway fully in dollars. 

If a company pays the full value of the 4G license in dollars, it will have the precedence in taking additional frequencies, the authority said. 

The lack of available frequencies in the 4G license one of the main reasons for the rejection of the three mobile companies operating in Egypt.

Egypt prioritised telecom companies operating in Egypt to acquire 4G license but said it will issue a global tender in case they refused.

Kuwaiti Zain Telecom, China Telecom Limited, Saudi Telecom Company and Lebara showed interest in buying 4G license in Egypt in case telecom companies operating in Egypt refused to acquire it.