Ethio Telecom Extends 4G LTE Coverage to 80 More Towns

Ethio telecom  has expanded its fourth-generation (4G) Long-Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband service to 80 additional towns in Ethiopia, extending high-speed connectivity to more communities beyond the country’s established urban centres.

The rollout supports the operator’s broader network expansion and digital transformation plans under its three-year Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028 strategy, which prioritises improved connectivity, network modernisation and wider access to digital services.

The expansion is expected to give residents and businesses in the newly covered towns improved access to mobile internet, online education, digital commerce and financial services, depending on network availability, device compatibility and service capacity. It could also help public institutions and businesses reach more people in areas where fixed broadband infrastructure remains limited.

The latest rollout builds on the company’s ongoing investment in mobile network infrastructure. In its first-half performance report for the 2025/26 fiscal year, Ethio telecom said it had brought 278 new mobile stations into operation, with approximately 47% located in rural areas. During the same period, 133 additional towns gained access to 4G LTE services.

Ethio telecom’s expansion plans are set to accelerate during the second year of its Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028 strategy, which covers the 2025/26 to 2027/28 fiscal years.

In its 2026/27 annual business plan, published on 3 September 2026, the operator outlined targets to increase 4G population coverage from 82.23% to 95% and expand the number of towns covered by the technology from 1,200 to 1,500. It also plans to increase its 4G site count from 6,924 to 11,014 under the plan’s stated baseline and target framework.

The company is also targeting an increase in 5G coverage from 33 to 73 towns. Its rural connectivity programme includes plans to raise the number of rural mobile sites from 454 to 1,059 and deploy 1,685 additional mobile sites during the fiscal year, including 605 dedicated rural sites. Ethio telecom expects the rural programme to extend connectivity to more than 1,400 kebeles and approximately 4.5 million people.

Alongside extending geographical coverage, the operator plans to strengthen network capacity and service quality through investments in fibre connections to mobile sites, indoor coverage solutions and Massive MIMO technology. These upgrades are intended to improve network efficiency and capacity as demand for data services increases.

The 4G expansion also supports Ethio telecom’s ambition to develop its business beyond traditional telecommunications. Under its Next Horizon strategy, the company is pursuing opportunities across digital financial services, cloud infrastructure, enterprise solutions and digital platforms.

Its telebirr digital financial services ecosystem is one example of how broader connectivity can support the adoption of online services. More extensive and reliable mobile broadband coverage can help customers, merchants and institutions access digital payments and other platforms, although uptake will also depend on affordability, user trust and merchant acceptance.

Improved connectivity can similarly support enterprise services, digital public platforms and emerging applications involving cloud computing, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. Delivering these services reliably will require continued investment in network capacity, backhaul infrastructure and customer experience alongside the expansion of coverage.

The addition of 80 towns therefore forms part of Ethio telecom’s wider effort to extend mobile connectivity, strengthen its network infrastructure and expand access to digital services across Ethiopia.