Ethiopian Informer
(Ethio-Telecom photo shows CEO Frehiwot Tamiru addressing the launching event of the company’s three-year strategy, dubbed “Next Horizon: Digital and Beyond 2028)
ADDIS ABABA (EI): The number of telecom service users in Ethiopia is projected to surpass 100 million in the coming three years, with “”significant expansion” of digital access, the country’s state-run telecom firm has said.
Ethiopia’s state-owned, Ethio-Telecom, on Tuesday launched its three-year strategy, dubbed “Next Horizon: Digital and Beyond 2028.” Outlining the company’s strategic objectives, chief executive officer Frehiwot Tamiru, said Ethio-Telecom’s customer base is projected to reach 88 million by the end of the current 2025/2026 Ethiopian fiscal year, starting on July 8, marking a 6 percent increase. She said the number of mobile data and internet users is also expected to surpass 52.8 million by the end of this year.
Last month, Safaricom Ethiopia announced “a major milestone,” reaching 10 million 90 days active customers across Ethiopia. It said the milestone “marks a significant step forward” in the company’s commitment to supporting Ethiopia’s digital transformation.
The company projected total revenue of 235.8 billion birr (about 1.7 billion U.S. dollars) this fiscal year, marking a 45.6 percent increase compared to the previous fiscal year. The company aims to generate 842.3 billion birr in revenue over the course of the three-year strategic period, representing a 154 percent growth from the previous strategic period.
It said the projected revenue increase will be driven by core telecom services, as well as new income sources such as FinTech, device sales, enterprise solutions, and other services, while the company’s foreign currency earnings are projected to increase to 976 million U.S. dollars.
The company’s assets are also projected to reach 851 billion birr, funded by investments in telecom and digital infrastructure expansion during the strategy period.
As part of the company’s strategy, the number of TeleBirr users is expected to reach 62.5 million by the end of the current fiscal year, with a transaction value of 4.43 trillion birr. By the end of the strategic period, the platform’s customer base is projected to surpass 75 million, with a total transaction volume of 21.3 trillion birr. The projected growth is said to represent a 36.8 percent increase in the number of users and a 334 percent increase in the total transaction volume.
Meanwhile, the company also announced “extensive plans” to expand and upgrade its mobile network, significantly increasing 4G and 5G service coverage across the East African country.
As part of its ambition to provide modern telecom services to its users, Ethio-Telecom has been partnering with Chinese technology companies, mainly Huawei and ZTE, to realize the expansion of high-tech telecom facilities across the country.
According to Tamiru, the three-year strategy envisaged a core objective of reinforcing the company’s role as a catalyst for the East African country’s digital transformation through delivering reliable communications, innovative digital solutions, business diversification, regional expansion and global play, and seamless financial services that empowers communities and businesses far beyond connectivity.
In October 2022, Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia officially launched its mobile telecommunications network and services, making it the country’s first private telecom service provider.
