إيقاف الخدمة عن 60 ألف هاتف محمول في مصر.. لهذا السبب

The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in Egypt has suspended services for 60,000 devices due to suspicions of ineligibility for the customs exemption launched by the government at the beginning of the current year 2025.

The authority issued an official statement to respond to the controversy raised on social media regarding the retroactive suspension of mobile phones brought in by passengers arriving from abroad or the cancellation of the established customs exemptions.

The authority confirmed the continuation of the customs exemption for one mobile device per passenger during the trial period of the mobile phone governance system, which began with the start of the current year 2025.

The statement clarified that the system has enabled the exemption of approximately 650,000 mobile devices brought in by passengers since the beginning of 2025 until now, reflecting the state's commitment to facilitating the entry of personal devices through customs channels.

According to the statement, periodic monitoring of the system revealed cases of manipulation and fraud, such as registering commercial devices as personal ones or using fictitious passenger data, which led to the suspension of services for 60,000 devices due to suspicions of ineligibility for the exemption.

In recent days, the authority conducted a thorough analysis of these cases, confirming that there was manipulation in 13,000 devices that received exemptions through illegal means, necessitating their continued suspension until regulatory procedures are completed, while the legitimacy of 47,000 devices for exemption was verified, and they were immediately reactivated.

Egypt launched the mobile phone governance system at the beginning of 2025 with the aim of regulating the import of devices through customs channels, ensuring compliance with regulatory and customs standards, while reducing the smuggling of devices and the illegal exploitation of exemptions.

The system allows for the exemption of one mobile device per passenger from customs fees during the trial period, aiming to support the use of personal devices while preventing the exploitation of exemptions in illegal commercial activities, with customs fees of up to 38.8% applied to additional mobile phones brought by travelers from abroad.

If the fees are not paid within 90 days of activating the phone with a Egyptian SIM card, mobile communication and internet services on the device will be suspended, while other functions such as connecting to Wi-Fi networks will continue to operate.

The Egyptian Customs Authority, in cooperation with the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, launched the "My Phone" application available on the Google Play and App Store, to register the data of imported phones and pay fees or request exemptions electronically. The application is linked to the Digital Egypt portal, allowing identification of the phone owner via the used SIM number. Owners of unregistered phones receive text messages requesting them to pay the fees within the specified timeframe.

A responsible source at the Egyptian Customs Authority revealed to "Okaz" that the decision applies to foreigners residing in Egypt for work or study purposes, while tourists or visitors are not subject to the fee application decision.

He added: "Foreigners coming to visit Egypt, including tourists, residents, and foreign students, are required to register their mobile phones on the 'My Phone' application if they use an Egyptian SIM card, within 90 days of activating the device, while phones operating with foreign SIM cards under international roaming are exempt from these procedures, regardless of the duration of operation."

He pointed out that each incoming person is allowed to bring one phone exempt from fees for personal use for three months, and fees can be paid electronically via the application if an Egyptian SIM card is used after the 90-day period, noting that failure to register will lead to the suspension of communication services on the device, which may affect the experience of visitors and residents.

Reports indicate that the black market for mobile phones was causing the state significant financial losses annually before the implementation of the system, and Egypt is considered one of the largest smartphone markets in the region, with approximately 60 million users according to 2024 estimates.