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Ethio Telecom has launched commercial 5G services in Ethiopia, starting with Addis Ababa.
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The telco, which serves over 70 million subscribers, confirmed it is initially offering 5G via 145 sites that have been deployed in the capital. This follows the pre-commercial 5G mobile broadband trials last year.
Ethio Telecom says it is ready to offer unlimited 5G data, 5G To The Home, and a variety of 5G mobile packages to customers.
The company’s website lists mobile 5G tariffs starting at US$17 per month for up to 150GB of data.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that UAE-based e& and France’s Orange are exploring plans to snap up a 45 percent stake in the state-owned telco.
Ethiopia’s government has been looking to sell a stake in Ethio for a number of years and invited bids in November of last year. The company had been the only operator in the market until Kenya-based Safaricom launched in October.
The Ethiopian government wants a third telco in the market and launched a tender for a second private mobile telco license earlier this month. MTN Group was expected to be next to enter the market, but the operator walked away after its bid for a license was rejected in 2021.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sees Ethiopia’s telecoms industry as a huge asset to the country’s economy, with the nation boasting a population of over 120 million.
