Ethio telecom has signed a new agreement with Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson to expand Ethiopia’s mobile network and extend 4G-LTE coverage to more than 100 towns across the country.
The agreement was signed by Ethio telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamiru during a global telecom industry event in Barcelona. The project will involve expanding, upgrading and deploying network infrastructure across approximately 1,500 mobile sites.
The initiative aims to improve connectivity and support growing demand for mobile data services across Ethiopia, particularly in underserved regions.
The partnership also reflects the long-standing relationship between Ericsson and Ethiopia’s telecommunications sector. The Swedish technology company first began working in the country in the late 19th century, supplying telephone equipment to the early telecom infrastructure that eventually evolved into Ethio telecom.
Ericsson later established a technical office in Addis Ababa during the 1960s, though operations were suspended during the Derg regime. The company returned to the Ethiopian market in the late 1990s and has since played a role in modernising the country’s telecom network.
Over the years, Ethiopia’s telecom expansion projects have involved multiple international vendors, including ZTE and Huawei, which have also participated in large-scale network infrastructure deployments.
Since Frehiwot Tamiru assumed leadership of Ethio telecom in 2018, cooperation with Ericsson has been renewed and strengthened. Ericsson’s technology has been an important component in the operator’s LTE and 5G network expansion initiatives.
The latest agreement is expected to further accelerate digital connectivity and expand broadband access across Ethiopia.
