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    Home5G & BeyondSafaricom Ethiopia switches on network in Addis Ababa 

    Safaricom Ethiopia switches on network in Addis Ababa 

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    Ceremony for national launch of 2G, 3G and 4G services

    Safaricom Ethiopia has switched on its 5G mobile network and services in the capital Addis Ababa and held a ceremony to mark a national network launch of networks everything from 2G to 4G.

    The Ethiopian government launched Digital Ethiopia 2025 to help the country realise its digital potential and leverage technology to build a more prosperous society. As part of that process, Safaricom Ethiopia was granted a nationwide full-service unified telco service licence and is the first company in the country to launch a competitive mobile service to the state-owned encumbent Ethio Telecom.  

    Safaricom Ethiopia’s 2G, 3G and 4G mobile services are available in 11 cities from today, including the capital and the country’s second largest city Dire Dawa. The company plans to launch services in a total of 25 cities by April 2023 to meet the 25% population coverage obligation in its licence. Safaricom Ethiopia is building a wholly-owned mobile network and has infrastructure sharing and interconnection agreements in place with Ethio Telecom. Safaricom Ethiopia’s vision is to transform lives through a digital future for all Ethiopians. 

    Safaricom Ethiopia is owned by an international consortium including Vodafone Group, Kenya-based Safaricom Group, Vodacom Group and Sumitomo Corporation – one of the largest international trading and business investment companies. “This project will contribute to Ethiopia‘s national development by providing its expertise in the telecommunications business and digital transformation know-how cultivated in Japan and other Asian countries,” said Toshikazu Nambu, Representative Director for Sumitomo Corporation, “with the expansion of mobile phone use and the economic and human resource development, we will transform lives for a digital future, in line with the Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy.”

    Another major partner is British International Investment (BII) – the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor. This is the first joint investment project to be realised under the strategic alliance agreed by Vodafone and Sumitomo in November 2020. Mobile networks are the fastest way of lifting a huge population out of poverty, according to Nick O’Donohoe, Chief Executive Officer of BII. “The launch of Safaricom Ethiopia will deliver development impact at a country-wide level, said Donohue. It will transform the economic prospects for millions of Ethiopians and go a long way to alleviating data-poverty in the country.”

    “We are excited to be part of an experienced international consortium with a strong vision to advance Ethiopia’s inclusive digital society with clear goals to deliver greater prospects for education, jobs and prosperity,” said Nick Read, CEO of Vodafone Group.