This connection is temporarily unavailable: A survey of telecommunications infrastructure in Egypt

This study traces the roots of Egypt’s telecommunication system from the colonial era when the British Empire established a cohesive communication system to control its territories to the present telecommunications laws by Egyptian officials who are attempting to control local dissent. This study also examines the role of telecommunication infrastructure in suppressing dissent in the country and contributes to the broader discourse on digital media and infrastructure by shedding light on how technological progress, often touted for its potential for individual freedom, is built on the history of oppression and serves the hegemony of the state. This article includes four major sections: the first focuses on the history of the telegraph and how it aided colonial dominance; the second focuses on the development of the internet in Egypt; the third analyses telecommunication laws and how they are developed in tandem with technological progress and the final section looks at current issues in the Egyptian digital sphere.