Egypt's three existing mobile phone operators have declined to buy its fourth-generation licences, two Egyptian telecoms officials told Reuters on Thursday.

The companies, Vodafone, Orange and Etisalat, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
The Egyptian officials declined to be named as no official announcement had yet been made on the matter.

Telecom Egypt, the country's fixed-line monopoly, last month acquired the 4G licence at a cost of 7.08 billion Egyptian pounds ($797 million). The move will allow it to enter the mobile phone market directly for the first time.

Thursday was the deadline for the three existing mobile companies to respond to the government's offer to buy 4G licences. - Reuters