The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) underlines that the remarks of ICT Minister Amr Talaat regarding the improved performance of Internet services following the fire at Ramses Telephone Exchange have been taken out of context and misrepresented.
While speaking to members of the ICT Committee at the House of Representatives, the ICT Minister referred to the efficiency of the Internet following the fire that broke out at Ramses Telephone Exchange, despite the network experiencing unusually high traffic loads. He was speaking from a technical perspective used by telecommunications specialists to assess Internet performance after incidents that may impact its efficiency.
In his remarks before the ICT Committee, Talaat pointed to the widespread misconception that Egypt’s entire information infrastructure was solely dependent on the Ramses Telephone Exchange, and that its collapse would result in a nationwide breakdown of information services. That notion is entirely inaccurate. He explained that the Ramses building is indeed a major and essential component within a highly complex system that includes multiple interconnected exchanges. This complex system was developed over many years to serve approximately 120 million mobile subscribers and 15-20 million fixed Internet households.
Talaat noted that the continuity of services following the fire demonstrated the system’s resilience. Had the Ramses Telephone Exchange truly been the sole backbone of the Internet infrastructure in Egypt and experienced a complete failure, such discussions would not have been possible. The fact that these discussions were held online clearly demonstrated that the Internet remained functional and efficient, the ICT Minister underscored, adding that the network’s ability to effectively manage the unusual traffic loads is a testament to its enhanced performance.
