OECD has primarily estimated that the five-day shut-down of internet access in Egypt has caused minimum loss of US$90 million. It refers to lost revenues due to blocked telecommunications and Internet services, which account for around US$18 million per day, or, on a yearly scale, for roughly 3-4% of GDP, according to Cellular News.
But Pyramid Research has estimated that the ban on Internet services could have cost $5 million per day while the clamp down on mobile services may have carried a price tag of $14 million per day. It means the country has lost around $110 million altogether, said Telecomasia. One day we may know the exact figure. But the most striking revelation is something else.
Egypt and New Zealand are “poles apart” in every respect. But Vodafone NZ has outsourced one of its customer care service to Egypt. Therefore, when the Mubarak regime has shutdown all telecoms network, the Egyptian outsourcing industry, including the Call Center of Vodafone, was mummified immediately. The Kiwis had to rush for Plan B.
One day things will become normal in Egypt. But the tyrant has already left a scar in the investors’ mind. The future leadership of Egypt has to work very hard to restore the BPO industry’s confidence. Otherwise, the tsunami of angry and educate male and female youth will again hit the Tahrir Square. They are unstoppable and so is the misfortune of Egypt’s BPO industry, unless the leaders act.
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Siribiris
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