Operating under the Mobinil brand, the Egyptian Company for Mobile Services became Egypt's first GSM operator after it won the license in 1998 for EGP1.755 billion (USD514.5 million).

The company increased its subscriber base by 63% from 9.3 million in 2006 to 15.1 million in 2007, giving it a 50.3% market share in Egypt in 2007. Postpaid mobile subscribers represented 96% of the total number of subscribers in 2007, which reflected its strategy of targeting lower income customers. The company acquired a 3G license in October 2007 for a total cost of EGP3.4billion (USD618 million) in addition to 2.4% of its yearly revenues, to be paid to the telecommunication regulatory authority.

Publicly listed on the Cairo and Alexandria Stock ExchangesCairo and Alexandria Stock Exchanges, Mobinil was established by four Egyptian banks who later sold their shares to the Sawiris family's Orascom Telecom HoldingOrascom Telecom Holding. Mobinil is owned by the two telecommunications providers Orascom Telecom HoldingOrascom Telecom Holding and France Telecom (Orange). OTH is one of the MENA region's largest telecommunication companies, with EGP25.33 billion (USD4.47 billion) in revenues and has the largest number of regional group subscribers reaching 51.7 million at the close of 2006. France Telecom is one of the world's largest telecommunication services providers, with 109.7 million mobile telecommunications customers throughout the world and total revenues of EUR52.96 billion (USD78 billion) by the close of 2007.

Mobinil and its rival VodafoneVodafone were joined by a third competitor with the launch of Etisalat EgyptEtisalat Egypt in May 2007.