$93 Annually on Phones, Internet for Egyptian Households

Egyptian households spent an average of 2.5 per cent of their annual expenditure, or LE555 ($92.5), on telecommunications in 2010/11, the latest survey by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) showed on Sunday. Mobile phones made up more than 60 per cent of the amount spent on telecommunications, while internet services made up just 5 per cent. Eight per cent of households have an internet subscription at home, a figure that grows to 14 per cent in cities, and drops to 2.6 per cent in the countryside.

These figures, however, do not account for accessing the internet via mobile phones. The survey also showed that 86 per cent of Egyptian families own at least one mobile phone, which grows to 90 per cent in urban areas. The number of mobile phone subscriptions in Egypt reached 91.35 million in May 2012, while the population living inside the country is around 83 million, according to the latest CAPMAS figures. Many Egyptians have more than one mobile subscription.

Three companies dominate the mobile phone market in Egypt: Mobinil, Vodafone and Etisalat. The latter being the newest entrant to the market and the also smallest. While a 'mini' price war erupts every year during Ramadan, prices and services vary little between providers. Around 36 per cent of urban households own a personal computer, falling to 10 per cent in rural areas. Overall, 22 per cent of Egyptian families own a computer at home. The survey also showed that 40 per cent of households have a landline, which are monopolised by the semi-public Telecom Egypt (TE). It also controls a large portion of internet services and owns a stake in Vodafone Egypt. Food, housing, clothes, health care and education are the five largest expenses for Egyptian households.