Ethiopia has relaunched its plans to award a new telecoms operating licence and to sell off a stake in Ethio Telecom, and is doubtless hopeful of attracting significant foreign investment to the market.
Safaricom has launched commercial mobile services in Ethiopia almost a year and a half after it won a licence to become the country’s first privately-owned telco.
The Ethiopian government is calling for bids for its second full-service telecoms operating licence with a view to completing the process early next year.
Ethiopia has formally announced that it will launch the process to award a second new mobile licence later this month, including a permit to offer financial services. But despite the removal of what has been widely seen as a key stumbling block in the liberalisation of the country’s telecoms market, African telco giant MTN is reportedly no longer interested.
Also in today’s EMEA regional round-up: MTN warns of H1 earnings fall; Orange combines with SSE Networks for improved maritime connectivity; Brussels looks into latest Facebook acquisition.
Safaricom’s shareholders formally approved the operator’s incorporation in neighbouring Ethiopia, following it led a successful bid for a telecoms licence in Africa’s second largest country.
Vodafone was part of the consortium that won a new Ethiopian telecoms operating licence, but its direct involvement is minimal and will come solely through its existing African shareholdings.
A consortium including major players Vodafone, Vodacom and Safaricom has won a licence to offer telecoms services in Ethiopia, but the opening up of the country is unlikely to end here.
Ethiopia has shared the names of just two bidding groups for its two available telecoms licences, a disappointing outcome from one of the world’s last great liberalisation opportunities.
Handset manufacturer Tecno Group has announced it will build a “third phase” mobile phone assembly and production plant in Addis Ababa. The firm already runs two factories in the Ethiopian capital.
Ethiopia’s government has signed a $1.6bn deal with Chinese vendors ZTE and Huawei, in a bid to expand mobile phone infrastructure and introduce 4G broadband to the capital Addis Ababa. The deal will also see the rollout of a 3G service across the rest of the country.
Ethiopia’s monopoly operator Ethio Telecom has announced plans to deploy LTE services in the country’s capital, Addis Ababa.The operator recently launched a program of 26 projects aimed at improving service provision, customer handling and communication, and network expansion.
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