Ethiopia’s telecom grows with reliable infrastructure dev’t: ECA

-To welcome 3rd telecom operator

ADDIS ABABAEthiopia’s telecommunic ations sector has shown significant progress in the past five years, according to the Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA).

ECA Director-General Eng. Balcha Reba told The Ethiopian Herald that reforms have led to substantial improvements in infrastructure and operator efficiency. The number of telecom towers has increased from 7,100 to over 11,500, driven by investments from Ethio telecom and Safaricom.

Balcha emphasized the need for enabling policies and efficient market access to attract further investment. He noted that Safaricom’s mobile network now covers 42% of the population and 55 zones.

To expand coverage in rural areas, the ECA has established a universal access fund and is leveraging funding from international donors like JICA and the World Bank. Balcha urged the public to protect infrastructure from damage.

Ethiopia’s data center business is also growing rapidly, attracting foreign investors due to its reliable power supply and favorable climate.

The ECA is preparing to license a third telecom operator by the end of 2025 and is also issuing licenses for data center investors.

On his part ,MinT Senior Policy Advisor Abiyot Bayou highlighted the efforts to facilitate digital transformation through legal and regulatory frameworks. This has resulted in significant achievements in e-government services, digital payments, and national digital ID. Mobile broadband subscribers have reached 43.5 million, and mobile coverage exceeds 99.2%.

The number of mobile subscribers has surpassed 80.5 million, and broadband users exceed 45 million.

BY ASHENAFI ANIMUT

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 28 JANUARY 2025

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