Egypt has connected more than 1,250 villages to high speed fibre optic internet through its Haya Karima, or Decent Life, national development initiative, significantly expanding rural broadband access and accelerating digital inclusion across underserved communities. The milestone covers villages included in the first phase of the initiative, which forms part of Egypt’s broader digital transformation strategy combining telecommunications infrastructure investment with improved access to digital public services, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities in rural areas.
During a meeting reviewing communications and information technology projects, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli stressed the importance of completing telecommunications infrastructure works, particularly in villages covered under the first phase of Haya Karima. He called for continued coordination between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and other relevant authorities to improve communications and internet services nationwide, underscoring the government’s continued prioritisation of the rural connectivity programme.
Communications and Information Technology Minister Raafat Hindi said the ministry is continuing to expand the national fibre optic network by replacing copper cables, extending fifth generation mobile services, and increasing the number of villages connected under the initiative. He also noted that Egypt has climbed 60 places over the past six years in the 2025 Government AI Readiness Index published by Oxford Insights, ranking first in Africa and 51st globally, a marker officials have pointed to as evidence of the country’s broader digital transformation progress alongside the rural connectivity push.
Extending fibre networks into rural communities is intended to give residents more reliable access to digital government services, online education, telemedicine, financial services, and e-commerce, while also supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs through better access to digital markets and cloud based business tools. The Haya Karima initiative, first launched in 2019, integrates digital connectivity with broader investments in public infrastructure and community development, and forms one pillar of a wider national programme aimed at improving standards of living in some of Egypt’s poorest rural areas by expanding infrastructure and public services.
The fibre rollout complements Egypt’s wider investments in digital government, cloud infrastructure, data centres, artificial intelligence, and telecommunications modernisation, as the country continues strengthening partnerships with technology providers in pursuit of its ambition to become a regional digital hub. With roughly 56 percent of Egypt’s population living in rural areas, closing the urban rural digital divide has remained a central objective for the government’s Vision 2030 digital economy strategy, and officials have framed the continued expansion of fibre connectivity as a long term strategic asset supporting the country’s broader competitiveness in an increasingly data driven global economy.
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