Ethio Telecom expands 4G to 417 cities in Ethiopia

Last week, Ethio Telecom, the Ethiopian government’s telecommunication enterprise, declared the expansion of its 4G internet network to an additional 77 towns throughout the country

This expansion increases the total count of cities with 4G connectivity in Ethiopia to 417.

The company stated in a release, “Our company is committed to continuously developing various infrastructures and deploying cutting-edge technologies to simplify the daily lives of citizens and modernise work systems, thereby boosting the digital economy and promoting the multi-dimensional development of the nation.”

The rapid growth of 4G network access is expected to enable Ethio Telecom to connect with a larger audience. Moreover, it positions the company to consolidate its dominance amidst escalating market competition. Since October 2022, Ethio Telecom has been competing with Safaricom Ethiopia, a private telecom operator. Furthermore, the Ethiopian government is considering the introduction of another private telecom service provider.

For context, as of the end of 2023, Ethio Telecom reported having 74.6 million customers, which includes 36.4 million internet users. Meanwhile, Safaricom Ethiopia had accumulated 9.4 million mobile subscribers by the end of March 2023. The coverage of Safaricom’s network extends to approximately 40% of the Ethiopian populace, which the World Bank estimates to be 123.4 million.