Egypt: National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority adopted regulatory framework for establishing data centres and providing cloud computing services

On 18 August 2021, the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) issued the regulatory framework for establishing data centres and providing cloud computing services. Existing data centre operators and cloud service providers must regularise their status within nine months of the framework's issuance by obtaining the appropriate licences. According to the framework, licensing requirements vary based on the geographical scope of service provision, the intended recipients (internal or external), and the type of activity (cloud computing or public data centre establishment). Key features include a 15-year licence duration for public data centres, with licensees permitted to establish data centres, provide hosting and cloud services, and connect directly to submarine cable systems. For Cloud Service Providers (CSPs), the registration period is also 15 years, requiring detailed submission of entity and activity data, with approval from the NTRA being mandatory for completion.