Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia P.L.C., a subsidiary of the Kenyan mobile operator Safaricom, was established on July 9, 2021. This venture marked a significant move into the Ethiopian telecommunications market, which had been dominated by the state-owned Ethio Telecom. Safaricom Ethiopia was previously known as Global Partnership for Ethiopia BV (GPE) before its rebranding. The company was awarded a telecommunications license in May 2021, for a fee of USD 850 million, representing the largest foreign direct investment into Ethiopia at the time. The consortium owning Safaricom Ethiopia includes Vodafone Group, Vodacom Group, Sumitomo Corporation, and British International Investment (BII), with Safaricom holding a majority stake of 55.7%.
Alias
Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC
Country
Ethiopia
Type
Mobile Network Operator
Safaricom Ethiopia

3G Network

3G services were made available alongside 2G and 4G in multiple cities, including Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, starting from October 6, 2022. There has been no indication of a shutdown of the 3G network, as it continues to be part of the service offerings to ensure broad coverage and service availability across different device capabilities.

Network Frequency Band Status Known UARFCNs
B8 (900 MHz)
Active
3000
Date Event Subtype
Launch of 3G Network
Launch

4G Network

Safaricom Ethiopia officially launched its 4G network services in Addis Ababa on October 6, 2022. The rollout included 2G and 3G services, with the 4G network being a significant focus due to its capability to support higher data speeds and modern applications. By the end of 2022, Safaricom Ethiopia's 4G services were available in 11 cities, including the capital Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. The company planned to expand its services to a total of 25 cities by April 2023, aiming to meet a 25% population coverage obligation as part of its licensing agreement. The 4G network was designed to be 5G-ready, with infrastructure capable of future upgrades as the necessary spectrum becomes available. As of August 2024, the 4G network covered nearly 50% of Ethiopia's population, supported by approximately 1,000 telecom towers.

4G Frequency Bands
Network Frequency Band Max. Channel Bandwidth Status Known EARFCNs
B1 (2100 MHz)
Active
251
B3 (1800 MHz)
10
Active
1650, 1700
B7 (2600 MHz)
20
Active
3100
B20 (800 MHz)
10
Active
6300
Date Event Subtype
Launch of 4G Network
Launch

5G Network

Safaricom Ethiopia's network infrastructure was built with the future in mind, being fully 5G-enabled despite primarily operating on 4G due to the lack of available 5G frequency bands. The company has not yet commenced commercial 5G services, but it has expressed intentions to accelerate 5G rollout plans in response to growing demand for data-intensive applications. The deployment of a unified, cloud-based core network has been part of Safaricom Ethiopia's strategy to ensure flexibility and readiness for 5G services. As of the latest updates, no specific dates or details regarding 5G trials or spectrum auctions have been provided, but the infrastructure is in place to support a swift transition once the regulatory and market conditions are favourable.

Date Event Subtype