• The expanded alliance includes mobile money, fiber infrastructure, and roaming services.
• Ethio Telecom’s Telebirr platform processed $15.95 billion in 2024, with over 54.8 million users.
• Djibouti Telecom aims to reinforce its position as a regional digital hub, connected to 13 international undersea cables.

Ethio Telecom and Djibouti Telecom plan to deepen their partnership to accelerate regional digital integration and cooperation in East Africa’s fast-evolving telecom ecosystem.

The two state-owned operators announced the agreement following a meeting held on October 17 in Addis Ababa. The partnership will expand into key strategic areas including international gateways, interconnectivity, mobile money, enterprise solutions, and roaming services.

Ethio telecom and Djibouti Telecom Strengthen Strategic Alliance to Accelerate Regional Digital Transformation

Ethio telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamru and Mr. Mohammed Assoweh, Director General of Djibouti Telecom, held a high-level strategic meeting in Addis Ababa today pic.twitter.com/zu04kEMB9z

— Ethio telecom (@ethiotelecom) October 17, 2025

The companies are also collaborating with Sudan’s Sudatel Telecom under the “Horizon Fiber Initiative”, a tripartite project designed to strengthen regional fiber infrastructure and improve network resilience across East Africa.

Ethio Telecom said the cooperation aligns with its “Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028” roadmap, focused on innovation, digital inclusion, and sustainable growth. The operator reported over 78 million subscribers in 2024, while its mobile payment service Telebirr recorded 2.38 trillion birr ($15.95 billion) in annual transactions, advancing Ethiopia’s financial inclusion efforts.

Djibouti Telecom, for its part, links the alliance to its national strategy to establish the country as a major regional digital hub. Already connected to 13 international submarine cables, Djibouti serves as a digital gateway between Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The operator has recently upgraded its infrastructure and expanded data center capacity to attract new regional partners and support rising international data traffic.

If the two operators deliver on their commitments, the alliance could speed up the creation of an integrated regional digital backbone, lower connectivity costs, and enhance digital sovereignty in the Horn of Africa. The strengthened cooperation positions Ethio Telecom and Djibouti Telecom among the leading players in Africa’s digital transformation.

This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum