Ethiopia Internet Case Study

operation in the country, extending

provided in Addis Abeba, operating in

communication services to rural areas

4 of the 6 zones which make up the

and supplementing the service in

city. However, this system, though

areas around Addis Abeba. The ETC

quicker to install, presents higher

is planning to increase the number of

costs and a shorter lifetime (5 to

VSATs to 470 in the near future.

7 years), and uses a limited natural

resource, the frequency spectrum.

2.2.1 Fixed lines

Moreover, the current WLL speed in

The national switching capacity is

Ethiopia (9.6 Kbit/s) allows only voice

550'000 lines, of which about

and fax communication, virtually

340'000, i.e. only 61 per cent, are

excluding any Internet use. The

currently in use. ETC announced plans

system is therefore unlikely to be used

in 1998 to add a further 750'000 lines

widely in the country.

over the next 10 years which would

raise teledensity to about 1 per cent.

There are expected to be 1'500 public

A fixed line capacity of about 440'000

coin/card phones in operation by 2002

is to be allocated to urban areas

and 22'000 lines in ETCs public call

(serving a total population of around

offices. The number of clandestine

10 million) forecast for the end of

phone shops (which charge a premium

2002. There is still a large unsatisfied

over ETCs tariffs) is unknown, though

demand, with a waiting list of 153'000

they can be  in Addis Abeba.

for fixed lines in February 2002. The

average waiting time to obtain a fixed

The provision of terminal equipment

line varies depending on the type of

is fully liberalized, subject to ETA type 

customer: there are separate waiting

approval which is required before ETC

lists for business and residential users,

can install a telecommunication line.

with the latter having to wait for up

Satellite phones are not allowed,

to 8 years to obtain a telephone.

except under exceptional

circumstances. Frequency monitoring

In some cases, WLL technology is

is not yet carried out as ETA lacks the

used to connect certain areas:

necessary equipment.  Direct to 

currently around 6'000 lines are

home satellite television was not

Figure 3: Fixed and mobile lines network in Ethiopia

and fixed line growth rate in selected countries

Main Lines and Mobile Lines in Operation

Main line growth rate

50%

400,000

343,000

Fixed 

40%

Mobile

Kenya

300,000

30%

231,945

Uganda

200,000

20%

156,538

Tanzania

137,731

10%

100,000

40 000

Ethiopia

27 532

0%

17 727

0

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

 10%

1994

1996

1998

2000

Note: Figures are for fiscal year ending 8 July. Figures for 2002 are projections.

Source: ITU World Telecommunication Indicators Database and Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation.

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