(Ecofin Agency) - Ethio Telecom launched pre-commercial 5G last year, in May. The State company, in this framework, was supported by Huawei technically, and the Ethiopian Communication Authority (ECA).

Ethio Telecom launched commercial 5G last Saturday, September 9. The technology is currently available in 145 sites throughout Addis Ababa, the capital city. It will extend to other parts of the country in the coming months.

Over a year ago, Ethio Telecom launched pre-commercial 5G in the capital and Adama City. At the time, the country’s telecom regulator, the Ethiopian Communication Authority, had given the public operator temporary permission to use the 5G spectrum. 

Launching 5G supports Ethio’s ambition to bolster its telecom infrastructures and services, amid the commercial battle spurred by the national market’s liberalization. The move also aligns with the company’s efforts to accelerate Ethiopia’s digital transformation.

"5G service is of considerable importance for the smart home, healthcare services, hospital management, smart agriculture, education, industry and mining, manufacturing, smart airports and travel services, smart transport and logistics, digital commerce, broadcasting and entertainment, as well as cloud-based 5G gaming," reveals Ethio Telecom.

Isaac K. Kassouwi