Egypt Internet Clampdown Cost $90 Million, OECD Estimates

PARIS — A top Western think tank says Egypt's unprecedented clampdown on Internet and cell phone networks during the anti-government protests likely cost it about $90 million.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says the blocked services account for roughly 3-4 percent of economic output, resulting in a loss of $18 million per day for the Egyptian economy.

The Paris-based economic think tank warned in a statement Thursday that the long-term impact of the communications clampdown could be greater, as it will make it "much more difficult in the future to attract foreign companies and assure them that the networks will remain reliable."

The Egyptian government cut off all Internet service in the country on Friday, then restored it early Wednesday.

Comments

[ta8ersalid]

10:35 PM on 02/04/2011

Now thats some government waste, while the people need food.

[AgingLady]

11:58 AM on 02/03/2011

Gotta admit I never considered the money. Interesting article.

[rainbowblue]

06:38 PM on 02/03/2011

You never considered it because it's not important. Those protesting weren't getting a cut of that money, nor was it 'trickeling down'. They obivious have other priorities, and the fact that the math on this is later, proves that money isn't the first thing on everyone's mind. I'm still on the fence about this protest, maybe revolution, but no matter how it turns out government wise--if those kids end up better off than who cares how much "lost internet revenue" happened. In other words, what's the point to life if it's just making money while others (in your own city) suffer?

[blessedfrog]

11:07 AM on 02/03/2011

Some company should have just provided free wireless internet to Egypt

[AgingLady]

11:58 AM on 02/03/2011

Good thot.

[tj3usa]

08:53 AM on 02/04/2011

How? wireless from what tower?

I like the idea. How about free Internet service in the United States, where we developed it through tax payers funding for decades.

If Egypt had a tamper proof wireless Internet the government would have had to destroy physical structures to shut down the Internet. If they did that Egypt would be put back for a time to the 1970s. They would have lost the ability to be a modern nation and trade in the global market, They have relaxed the Internet shutdown a bit to accommodate this fact.

For us perhaps is what are our rights prior to any emergency here? I would guess very little. As we have a commercial internet given away to private interests by their political stooges in Washington. Cairo? Anywhere? What are our rights and what is the ownership and control structure before something happens?