Safaricom has begun providing 2G, 3G, and 4G network services in Ethiopia—four months later than it was expected to.
In May 2021, it led a group of international network providers—Vodafone, Vodacom, CDC Group Plc, and Sumitomo Corp—to secure an $850 million licence to operate in the country.
It was set to launch in April but didn’t, for undisclosed reasons.
Gradual launch
Now, Safaricom has decided to launch its operations in the country intermittently, starting with Dire Dawa. The Ethiopian town’s residents can now purchase Safaricom SIM cards from Kezira, Meskelegna, and Cornell areas, and have access to Safaricom’s 2G, 3G, and 4G coverage.
Customers will be able to make domestic and international calls on the state-owned Ethio Telecom network, and customer service will be available to them in Amharic, English, Afaan Oromo, and Ag-Somali languages.
If there are no further delays, Safaricom Ethiopia services will be available in 25 cities by April 2023.
