Telecommunications company Ethio Telecom registers 83.2 million subscribers and a 73% jump in revenue following the conclusion of its LEAD strategy
Ethio Telecom, Ethiopia's national telecommunications service provider, has announced a series of impressive achievements during the 2024/25 fiscal year, marking the conclusion of its three-year LEAD Growth Strategy.
Revenue Milestone
Ethio Telecom generated a record Birr 162 billion in revenue, marking a 72.9% increase compared to the previous year and achieving 99% of its annual plan. This significant growth is a testament to the company's successful execution of its strategy.
Subscriber Growth
The company expanded its customer base to 83.2 million subscribers, with over 80 million mobile voice users and nearly 47 million mobile data users. This growth underscores Ethio Telecom's commitment to providing accessible telecommunications services to a broad audience.
Network Expansion
Significant infrastructure development took place, including the construction of 1,683 new mobile sites, bringing the total to over 10,000 operational sites nationwide. This expansion has improved network coverage and quality, particularly in rural areas.
5G and 4G Services
26 cities gained access to 5G networks, while 936 cities are now covered by 4G services. This increase in high-speed internet coverage has the potential to transform various sectors, including education, healthcare, and business, by enabling faster communication and data transfer.
Data Usage and Broadband Growth
Mobile data usage surged to 1.43 trillion megabytes, reflecting Ethiopia’s increasing digital engagement. Fixed broadband subscriptions rose by 67.2%, expanding digital access further. This growth indicates a growing appetite for digital services among Ethiopians.
Strategic Impact
Ethio Telecom positioned itself as a major driver of Ethiopia's digital transformation, contributing beyond traditional telecom services through digitalization and strategic investments aligned with the national vision of Digital Ethiopia.
Other Key Achievements
- Ethio Telecom's cloud platform now offers 31,616 vCPUs and 4.5 petabytes of storage, providing businesses and individuals with robust and scalable cloud services.
- The company's flagship mobile financial platform, telebirr, reached 54.84 million users and handled over 2.38 trillion birr in transactions during the fiscal year.
- Ethio Telecom's data center infrastructure scaled up to 5 MW IT load and 624 racks.
- The company distributed 12.6 billion birr in dividends to its shareholders.
- Ethio Telecom's cybersecurity defenses intercepted over 461,000 attempted cyberattacks, demonstrating the company's commitment to protecting its customers' data.
- Ethio Telecom invested 1.5 billion birr in CSR projects, with 450 million birr invested in 2024/25.
- The report covers the 2022-2025 strategy period and includes cumulative achievements.
- Ethio Telecom used 2.41 billion birr for loan repayments.
- The company added 35.2 million to mobile network capacity, built 2,514 new mobile sites, and deployed 2,099 km of backbone fiber during the LEAD strategy.
- Ethio Telecom's EBITDA for the year was 76 billion birr, exceeding its target by 4%.
These accomplishments collectively demonstrate Ethio Telecom’s successful execution of its LEAD Growth Strategy, resulting in expansive network coverage, strong financial performance, and a solid foundation for Ethiopia’s ongoing digital development.
In addition, Ethio Telecom paid 43.8 billion birr in taxes during the fiscal year, contributing significantly to the nation's economy.
These achievements highlight Ethio Telecom's role as a key player in Ethiopia's digital transformation and underscore its commitment to delivering high-quality telecommunications services to its customers.
- Ethio Telecom's cloud platform, enhanced with 31,616 vCPUs and 4.5 petabytes of storage, offers robust and scalable services, catering to businesses and individuals.
- The mobile financial platform, telebirr, handled over 2.38 trillion birr in transactions and reached 54.84 million users, signifying its significant impact on Ethiopia's finance sector.
- Ethio Telecom demonstrates its commitment to cybersecurity by intercepting over 461,000 attempted cyberattacks, safeguarding customers' data.
- Expanding its data center infrastructure to 5 MW IT load and 624 racks, Ethio Telecom supports increased digital access through scalable solutions.
- In addition to its robust telecom services, Ethio Telecom invested 1.5 billion birr in CSR projects, highlighting its role in community development and broader business responsibility.
