The move by Egyptian authorities to seal off the country almost entirely from the Internet last week shows how easily a state can isolate its people when telecoms providers are few and compliant.  In an attempt to stop the online spread of dissent against President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule, not only Facebook and Twitter but the entire Internet was shut down, leaving some 20?million users stranded.

Hundreds of service providers offer connections in Egypt, but just four own the infrastructure — Link Egypt, Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt and Etisalat Misr.