Introduction

Internet services were initiated in October 1993 via a 9.6 Kbs line between the Egyptian Universities Network (EUN) and France.  The estimated user base was approximately 2000, primarily academics.    In less than twelve months connectivity to France was increased to 64Kbs, this marked the first active participation of the IDSC and Egypt Telecom in promoting the Internet.
During this same time frame, Egypt Telecom began work on the establishment of a digital backbone for data communications. 

The first gateway is at IDSC/RITSEC. This gateway has two 1Meg links to the U.S. backbone: one link via Intelsat with MCI and the other one via fiber to Sprint/Global-one. This gateway serves the governmental sector and also provides Internet connectivity to about 15 of the 16 ISPs in the country. The ISPs focus mainly on providing services to the private sector and to individuals. Some of the ISPs have already started to provide their services outside Cairo, in Hurghada, Alexandria, and Sharm El Sheikh. 

The second gateway is at EUN and it serves all 12 Egyptian universities as well as the research institutes connected to ENSTINET. It also provides connectivity to an ambitious project to connect hundreds of secondary schools to the Internet. The gateway has a fiber link to France with 256K and it will be upgraded soon to respond to the evolving potential in the academic and educational sectors
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  An additional gateway provides connectivity to one private-sector ISP with a 128K link via fiber to France. Other ISPs are also investigating the establishment of their own gateways to the Internet.  (Kamel, T.)