Vodafone Egypt has signed a three-year managed services agreement with Ericsson to deliver network field maintenance services and improve the quality of its network in the greater Cairo area, announced Ericsson in a press release on Tuesday.

The agreement is the first of its kind for Vodafone Egypt and is expected to boost network availability.

The leading global communications technology company has been in partnership with Vodafone Egypt since 1998.

Vodafone Egypt's recently appointed CEO, Ahmed Essam, announced at a news conference last month that his company plans to invest around 9.5 billion Egyptian pounds ($1.3 billion) over the next three years to improve its network.

Egypt is finalising a long awaited unified license for telecoms companies allowing the three existing mobile operators to offer landline services and landline operator Telecom Egypt (TE) to offer mobile services.

State-run TE has been given a one-year deadline to sell its 45 percent stake in Vodafone Egypt.

The Egyptian Company for Mobile Services (Mobinil), signed a LE815 million syndicated loan with four banks to finance a capital expansion and network improvements, Reuters reported in July.

Etisalat Misr is reportedly planning to provide an Intitial Public Offering (IPO) worth $500 million which would be the highest in five years.