NTRA and Consumer Protection Agency Launch Extensive Training Program to Strengthen Telecom and ICT Users’ Rights
The National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), in cooperation with the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), has launched a specialized and wide-ranging training program aimed at enhancing the capabilities of consumer protection associations and empowering them to better safeguard the rights of telecommunications and information technology users in Egypt.
The program brought together representatives and staff members from consumer protection associations affiliated with the Federation of Consumer Protection Associations, with participants drawn from several governorates, including Greater Cairo, Alexandria, Beheira, Gharbia, Sharqia, Kafr El-Sheikh, Dakahlia, and Beni Suef. This initiative represents the first phase of the training program and comes as part of the implementation of the cooperation protocol signed between the NTRA and the Consumer Protection Agency.
The training program focuses on strengthening both the institutional and practical capacities of consumer protection associations. Key components include an overview of the NTRA’s role in regulating the telecommunications market and overseeing service providers, as well as an introduction to the official channels for receiving, registering, and following up on consumer complaints. The program also highlights mechanisms for protecting users’ rights, ensuring service quality, and explains the most relevant provisions of the Consumer Protection Law related to the telecommunications and ICT sector, thereby reinforcing the role of civil society organizations in defending users’ interests.
In addition, the program featured a series of specialized sessions and lectures addressing areas of cooperation and integration between the NTRA and consumer protection associations. These discussions aim to enhance the efficiency of the user protection framework and ensure faster and more effective handling of complaints.
In this context, the NTRA stressed that protecting the rights of telecommunications service users is a central pillar of its strategy. The authority noted that it continuously works to develop regulatory and oversight frameworks to strike a balance between improving service quality for citizens and safeguarding their rights. The NTRA also emphasized that raising users’ awareness of their rights and responsibilities, alongside strengthening partnerships with civil society organizations - particularly consumer protection associations - directly contributes to addressing challenges efficiently and swiftly, with positive impacts on service quality, market stability, and the protection of users’ interests nationwide.
The authority further noted that its cooperation with the Consumer Protection Agency is part of building an integrated user protection ecosystem based on institutional coordination, knowledge sharing, and unified oversight efforts. This approach ensures that the voice of Egyptian consumers is accurately and objectively conveyed to the relevant authorities, while enhancing the state’s ability to respond effectively to complaints related to telecommunications services.
For its part, the Consumer Protection Agency underscored that the Federation of Consumer Protection Associations represents a key pillar of community-based oversight. The agency explained that the training program contributes to unifying efforts between state institutions and civil society, ensuring effective enforcement of the law and providing the technical support needed for associations to perform their role as an active link between citizens and concerned authorities.
At the conclusion of the program, both entities reaffirmed the importance of continuing cooperation between the NTRA, the Consumer Protection Agency, and consumer protection associations. They highlighted the need to further promote awareness of telecommunications users’ rights, enhance complaint-handling mechanisms, and strengthen community participation in monitoring market practices. The two sides also confirmed their commitment to continuing specialized training programs in the fields of regulation and oversight, in support of the state’s efforts to reinforce user protection frameworks and entrench principles of transparency and good governance across the telecommunications and information technology sector.