Egypt internet clampdown cost $90 mln, OECD says

(AP) -- 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.

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