Telecom Egypt (TE) increased the price of short number subscriptions, known as hotlines, by more than 200%.

According to an official in a tourist company that subscribes to TE’s short numbers’ service, the use of the short number for a hotline service in their company currently costs an annual subscription amount of EGP 22,500.

The official said that he received an email from TE informing its customers about the planned cost increase of the annual subscription to EGP 68,800 starting from November. The increase itself is valued at EGP 46,300, while the total subscription value, if paying in instalments, would increase to EGP 70,000.

“We are a tourist company that is trying it’s best to survive under the current economic circumstances within the country. With this increase, we will not be able to renew the subscription, and I think similar companies will do the same,” the source said.

The National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) called TE in December to conduct a study on pricing short numbers for companies. The NTRA explained that the reason behind the increase is the increase in the prices of short numbers on the informal market, which in some cases can sell at upwards to EGP 500,000. Following the study the NTRA allowed TE to re-price the service to utilise it as a resource for the NTRA that would in turn add to the state’s treasury.