(Ecofin Agency) – Safaricom launched its commercial activities in Ethiopia in October 2022. Since then, the company has extended its network to 40% of the Ethiopian population of around 120 million people.
The telecoms company Safaricom Ethiopia announced on Monday June 10 the launch of its commercial activities in the Tigray region. The company will now provide Tigrayans with its mobile phone, internet, SMS and mobile money services (via M-Pesa). She also launched an office in the region.
The deployment of Safaricom in Tigray will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, 125 self-built towers were installed. The second phase will see the erection of 166 additional towers to reach the remaining cities. The company intends to build an independent, state-of-the-art and 5G-ready 4G network.
Safaricom continues the gradual expansion of its telecoms network in Ethiopia after launching its services in October 2022. As of March 31, 2024, Safaricom Ethiopia’s network already covered 40% of the Ethiopian population. In April, the company announced an investment of $1.5 billion over the next three years, in particular to expand the coverage of its telecoms network. While Safaricom expresses a total need for 7,000 telecom towers, the company currently operates 2,500.
“ Building a great network takes time, and we are committed to continually improving and optimizing our network. Our network will seamlessly connect to the global mobile network and be interconnected with the other network in Ethiopia, enabling effortless communication with users of the other service provider “, said Safaricom Ethiopia.
The advent of Safaricom’s network in Tigray is expected to allow the company to reach millions more people in a country of around 120 million people with a mobile penetration rate of 38.5%. As of March 31, 2024, the company claimed 9.4 million subscribers in a market where it competes with state-owned Ethio Telecom. The historic operator had 72 million subscribers as of June 30, 2023.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
Also read:
04/30/2024 – Ethiopia: Safaricom announces an investment of $1.5 billion to expand the coverage of its network
09/11/2023 – Ethiopia: Safaricom’s M-Pesa records 1.2 million subscribers in less than three months of activity
