Egypt’s Mobile Networks Show Mixed Q2 Performance as Vodafone Leads Voice and WE Tops Data Speeds
Cairo, August 20, 2026 – Egypt’s mobile operators delivered a mixed performance during the second quarter of 2026, with Vodafone recording the fewest areas affected by voice quality issues, while WE maintained the fastest average download speed despite a quarter-on-quarter decline, according to the latest network quality measurements from the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA).
The regulator tested mobile services across 119 cities and districts between April and June, with measurement vehicles covering around 129,000 kilometers of main and secondary roads across Egyptian cities and villages.
The quarterly assessment examines both voice and mobile data performance across Vodafone Egypt, Orange Egypt, e& Egypt and Telecom Egypt’s WE, tracking indicators including failed and dropped calls, call setup time, voice quality, and download and upload speeds.
The results point to improvements across several areas of the market, although performance varied significantly between operators and between voice and data services.
Vodafone records strongest improvement in voice quality
Vodafone recorded the lowest number of areas affected by voice quality violations during the quarter, with the average falling to three areas from seven in Q1 2026.
e& Egypt also delivered a notable improvement, reducing the number of affected areas to five from eight, while Orange Egypt brought the figure down to eight areas from 10 during the previous quarter.
WE moved in the opposite direction, with areas experiencing voice quality issues rising to 15 from 10 in the first quarter, giving the operator the highest number among Egypt’s four mobile networks during the period.
The figures cover multiple voice indicators rather than call quality alone, including unsuccessful call attempts, calls that disconnect before completion, excessive call setup times and voice clarity.
WE remains fastest despite speed decline
The picture changes when looking at mobile data.
WE recorded an average download speed of 76Mbps during Q2, keeping it ahead of its rivals despite falling from 83Mbps in the previous quarter.
More significantly, NTRA detected no areas exceeding its data quality thresholds on WE’s network during the second quarter, compared with two affected areas in Q1.
Vodafone ranked second on average download speeds after improving to 66Mbps from 62Mbps. The number of areas affected by data quality issues also edged down to 15 from 16.
e& Egypt reached an average of 62Mbps, up slightly from 61Mbps, while reducing affected areas to just one from two during the previous quarter.
Orange was the only operator besides WE to record a decline in average download speeds, falling to 49Mbps from 53Mbps. However, the number of areas affected by data quality issues remained unchanged at four.
The figures show that headline download speed alone does not provide a complete picture of network performance. WE, for example, remained the fastest despite losing 7Mbps quarter-on-quarter, while e& recorded a lower average speed but limited data quality violations to a single tested area.
799 new mobile sites approved
The latest measurements come as Egypt pushes operators to add capacity and expand network coverage through new spectrum and infrastructure.
NTRA said it approved 799 new mobile base stations during the second quarter, a move expected to increase network density and improve coverage and service quality.
The regulator is also implementing Egypt’s 2026–2030 spectrum strategy, under which the first batch of additional frequencies was allocated to Vodafone during Q1, with Orange and e& receiving spectrum during the third quarter.
That additional spectrum could become increasingly important as mobile data consumption grows and operators expand their 5G networks, putting greater pressure on available network capacity.
NTRA has also completed additional network measurements across major coastal roads, the North Coast, New Alamein and a number of tourist villages and event areas, where mobile traffic typically rises significantly during the summer season.
Taken together, the Q2 results show a market where no single operator leads across every metric: Vodafone posted the strongest voice performance based on affected areas, WE delivered the highest average data speed and zero affected data areas, while e& combined improving speeds with only one area recording data quality violations.
With hundreds of new sites entering the network and additional spectrum being allocated to operators, the next quarters will provide a clearer indication of whether those investments translate into measurable improvements for mobile users across Egypt.