Ethio telecom and Sweden-based telecommunications giant Ericsson are partnering on a network expansion project that will reportedly bring 4G-LTE to more than 100 towns across Ethiopia.
CEO Frehiwot Tamiru inked the agreement at a global telecom trade show in Barcelona today, seeking to expand, upgrade, and deploy new network capabilities at 1,500 mobile sites, according to a statement issued by the state-owned giant.
The agreement marks the start of another chapter in Ericsson’s long history in Ethiopia.
From The Reporter Magazine
Headquartered in Stockholm, Ericsson began its business relationship with Ethiopia in the late 19th century, supplying telephone receivers to the entity that would eventually evolve into Ethio telecom. The Swedish multinational opened a technical office in Addis Ababa in the 1960s, which was closed during the Derg regime.
Ericsson re-established its presence in the late 1990s, and has since played an important role in expanding Ethiopia’s telecom network.
In 2014, Ethio telecom, then under the stewardship of CEO Andualem Admassie, handed Ericsson a portion of a USD 800 million expansion project previously held by China’s ZTE Corp following a financial disagreement with the latter.
From The Reporter Magazine
Less than two years later, another Chinese telecoms giant, Huawei, took back project ownership following separate schedule-related disagreements with Ericsson.
Under the leadership of Frehiwot, who took over as CEO in 2018, Ethio telecom and Ericsson have revived their long-lived partnership. Ericsson’s equipment has been a crucial part of the LTE and 5G network expansion the telecom operator has undertaken in recent years.
An Ethio telecom report published in October 2024 indicated USD 19 million in outstanding obligations to Ericsson.
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