Mobile operator Etisalat Egypt said it would bid for Egypt's second fixed-line network licence in 2008, Mena reported.

Chief Executive Saleh Al Abdouly said the bid would be a first step for the company since it began operations in Egypt in May, according to Mena.

 Communication Minister Tarek Kamel said late June that Egypt would offer a licence to operate a second fixed-line network, and that the government would give the operator a licence to offer international calls as an added incentive.

Telecom Egypt, the only fixed-line operator, already has an international licence, and the government is planning to sell more international licences soon.

The second network, which would compete with that of Telecom Egypt, would start operating in early 2009, according to Mena Reuters