Safaricom launched a pilot of its long-awaited Ethiopian network rollout in Dire Dawa. It is a key development for the country’s newly licensed second mobile operator, having missed a mandated deadline in April 2022 (Vodafonewatch, #206). The operator is building mobile radio towers and a national transmission network, and has entered wholesale agreements for international connectivity. STE has also built two data centres in Addis Ababa, established an outsourced call centre, and “developed our core network, IT, products, and services” (Vodafonewatch, #203–#204). The operator also recently finalised infrastructure-sharing and interconnect agreements with Ethio Telecom, which are essential for the newcomer to deliver services in the country.

Source: Ethiopian News August 30, 2022 16:33 UTC