In line with the National Telecom Regulatory Authority’s (NTRA) strategy to support the user rights and ensure high-quality services in Egypt’s market, NTRA has issued its second semi-annual report on telecom user complaints for the period between July and December 2021. The report presents the most important indicators with respect to landline, mobile, fixed internet and mobile set complaints. It also presents the rate and time of response to such complaints post escalation to NTRA.

NTRA actually receives telecom-user complaints regarding operators via call center on (155). In Addition, it has recently provided new e-channels to facilitate communication with users as well as to deliver non-traditional channels for complaints; such as, MyNTRA App, NTRA’s website, e-mail address as well as instant messaging apps like WhatsApp. Therefore, 121 762 complaints were received during the second half-year period as a result of such procedures. Operators’ response rate to complaints during the same period reached 88%, whereas response time was 4.8 days in average. The following figures are actually presented being the most important information conveyed by the second semi-annual report:

• 121 762 complaints were escalated to NTRA regarding telecom operators including; 23 156 landline complaints by 19%, 51 172 mobile complaints by 42%, 44 406 fixed internet complaints by 36% and 3028 mobile set complaints by 3%.
• 86% of complaints were received via call center (155), whereas 10% of complaints were registered on NTRA’s website. It is worth noting that 3% of complaints was raised via WhatsApp and 1% via MyNTRA.
• 49% of complaints was received in Greater Cairo and 26% in Delta. Meanwhile, 14% of complaints was raised by users in Upper Egypt, 8% in Alexandria and 3% in the Suez Canal cities.

Complaints regarding mobile set, mobile service, fixed internet service as well as landline service are presented in details as follow:  

First: Mobile set complaints

The overall number of complaints escalated by mobile set owners to NTRA regarding dealerships were 3028 during the second half-year period of 2021. Meanwhile, the rate of complaint-resolving reached 83% with an average time of 5.7 days. Most importantly, complaints were raised regarding poor technical support by 51%, maintenance issues by 31% and re-occurrence of problem by 18%. On the other hand, average time taken for resolving complaints per dealership was as follow; Sky by 4.3 Ro’ya by 4.3, Raya by 5.7, Safi by 5.8 and I2 by 8.5 days.

Secondly, mobile-user complaints against operators:

Number of mobile complaints was 54/ 100 thousand subscribers, whereas the response rate to complaints after being escalated to NTRA had reached 90% and the average response time had been 2 days.

• Vodafone: Number of complaints escalated against Vodafone was 59/ 100 thousand subscribers, whereas the response rate and the average response time scored 90% and 0.77 days respectively, post escalation. Most of these complaints were about mobile wallets by 34%, billing and credit service by 18%, Mobile Number Portability Service (MNP) by 12%, service subscription without notification by 7% and service quality by 6%.
• Orange: It was complained against by 56 complaints/ 100 thousand subscribers, whereas response rate to complaints after being escalated to NTRA had reached 89%. Average response time had also been 3.6 days. Furthermore, most of these complaints were about billing and credit service by 25%, subscription to service subscription without notification by 19%, MNP service by 17%, mobile wallets by 9% and service quality by 6%.
• Etisalat: Number of complaints raised against Etisalat was 42/ 100 thousand subscribers. The rate of response to complaints after being escalated to NTRA had reached 91% and the average response rate had been 3.1 days. Furthermore, most of these complaints were about service disconnection by 24%, MNP service by 23%, billing and credit services by 17%, mobile wallets by 11% and service quality by 6%.
• Number of complaints raised against WE was 59/ 100 thousand subscribers. Meanwhile, the rate of response to complaints after being escalated to NTRA had reached 93% and the average time of response had been 0.74 days. Moreover, most of these complaints were about MNP service by 27%, service disconnection by 26%, billing and credit service by 17%, service subscription without notification by 6% and mobile wallets by 5%.

Thirdly, fixed internet-user complaints against operators:

Number of fixed internet complaints was 482/ 100 thousand subscribers, whereas the response rate to complaints after being escalated to NTRA had reached 94% and the average response time had been 1.2 days.

• Vodafone: Number of complaints escalated against Vodafone was 1120/ 100 thousand subscribers, whereas the response rate and the average response time scored 97% and 0.22 days respectively, post escalation. Most of these complaints were about line reserved without notification by 62%, service quality by 17%, inability to cancel subscription by 6%, customer service by 4% and billing as well as credit service by 2%.
• Orange: It was complained against by 1868 complaints/ 100 thousand subscribers, whereas response rate to complaints after being escalated to NTRA had reached 98%. Average response time had also been 0.4 days. Furthermore, most of these complaints were about line reserved without notification by 60%, service quality by 23%, billing and credit service by 4%, inability to cancel subscription by 3% and customer service by 1%.  
• Etisalat: Number of complaints raised against Etisalat was 1525/ 100 thousand subscribers. The rate of response to complaints after being escalated to NTRA had reached 95% and the average response rate had been 0.32 days. Furthermore, most of these complaints were about line reserved without notification by 55%, service quality by 23%, billing and credit service by 7%, inability to cancel subscription by 5% and customer service by 3%.  
• Number of complaints raised against WE was 266/ 100 thousand subscribers. Meanwhile, the rate of response to complaints after being escalated to NTRA had reached 90% and the average time of response had been 2.3 days. Moreover, most of these complaints were about service quality by 80%, customer service by 5%, billing and credit service by 3%, line reserved without notification by 3% and inability to cancel subscription by 2%.

Fourthly: Landline- user complaints:

Landline complaints scored a number of 205 / 100 thousand subscribers, whereas the response rate of complaints after being escalated to NTRA had reached 73% and the average response time had been 17.8 days. Landline complaints were most importantly about breakdowns by 65%, delayed activation of service by 17%, service quality by 10%, customer service by 3% and billing as well as credit service by 2%. Furthermore, complaints were geographically distributed as follow: 52% in Greater Cairo, 26% in Delta, 12% in Upper Egypt, 8% in Alexandria and 2% in the Suez Canal area.

Measures taken by NTRA to uphold user rights

1. The 2022-version of My NTRA was launched

The 2022-version of the interactive app My NTRA was launched by NTRA to enable users to:

• Inquire about the lines registered with their names within the operators’ databases, using the National ID.
• Identify the service quality via an interactive map.
• Inquire about or cancel entertainment services.
• Raise complaints against operators.
• Test the internet speed.

2. Capacity of complaint center was doubled

The capacity of complaint-receiving process, via (155), was doubled by NTRA to be working throughout the whole week by 14 hours daily. This step had been actually taken to make it much easier for users to register their complaints.

3. Instructions were issued to facilitate fixed internet contracting procedures for elderly users without fees

NTRA had instructed telecom operators in Egypt’s market to allow elderly users, above 60 years old, wishing to subscribe to fixed internet and landline services, to have their contracts signed at home without any additional fees incurred. Elderly users would not also need to visit the operator’s branch to get this service done. NTRA also directed the operators to give priority to such a valued category of users so as to get their transactions promptly as well as smoothly finished up without making them wait, should they visit the branch in person.  

4. New rules were set to facilitate fixed internet portability service to take place within 72 hours

Post following up and monitoring complaints regarding line reservation without notifying customers, NTRA obligated fixed internet operators to carry on with the process of service-portability within a time frame not exceeding 72 hours. Such procedures actually resulted in reducing complaints by 39% in comparison to the first half-year period of 2021.

5. Fines of EGP 12.8 million were imposed on mobile operators for violating complaint-response standards

12.8 million pound-fines were imposed by NTRA on mobile operators for violating the standards of complaint-response.

6. Launching of 1156 new stations were approved during the second half-year period of 2021

The process to launch 1156 new stations was approved by NTRA during the second half-year period of 2021, by an increasing rate of 100% in comparison to the same period of 2020. This step would have a positive impact on telecom service quality in Egypt’s market.

7. Cash amounts were refunded to eligible users

A total number of EGP 780 thousand were refunded to eligible users by operators, from July to the end of December 2021, after the eligibility of such users had been proven by NTRA. The majority of amounts refunded were for invoice/ credit complaints by 54%, with Orange on top by 63%, during the second half-year period of 2021.