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By Yasmine Saleh and Michael Georgy
CAIRO, March 12 (Reuters) - Egypt's landline monopolyTelecom Egypt expects a newly-formed government togrant it a licence to provide mobile services this month ornext, the state-controlled company's chief executive said onWednesday.
Telecom Egypt has been relying on its data business to boostrevenue and has been waiting to launch a new mobile operationthat would complement its existing joint venture with Vodafone and rival the sector's two other players.
The growth of those businesses is steadily eating away atTelecom Egypt's traditional fixed-line services as Egyptians optto use mobile phones and the internet instead, forcing thecompany to seek ways of expanding its exposure to mobile.
Egypt's economy has been harmed by three years of politicaland economic turmoil that followed the downfall of autocraticPresident Hosni Mubarak after a popular uprising in 2011 and thearmy's ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi last year.
Army chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whoorchestrated Mursi's ouster, is expected to be voted in aspresident in coming elections.
Telecom Egypt chief executive Mohamed el-Nawawy expects themobile services licence to be issued in March or April, he toldReuters after the company announced 2013 results.
The Cairo-based group posted net profit of 2.96 billionEgyptian pounds ($425 million) for 2013, compared with 2.62billion in 2012. It earned revenues of 11.13 billion Egyptianpounds, against 10.03 billion the year before.
Nawawy said expectations for 2014 would be announced laterand described 2013 as "a great year" in terms of growth.
The company, of which the government owns 80 percent, serves35 million customers in seven million homes. Egypt's telecoms'regulator said in 2012 it would grant the firm a licence toprovide mobile services and would later let mobile companiesoffer fixed-lined services using Telecom Egypt's infrastructure.
Egypt has three mobile operators: Vodafone Egypt, Mobinil,which is controlled by France Telecom, and Dubai-based Etisalat.
