Ethiopian regulator receives bids for operating licences from MTN, Vodafone consortium

News Wireless Ethiopia 26 APR 2021
Ethiopian regulator receives bids for operating licences from MTN, Vodafone consortium

The Ethiopian telecoms regulator said that it has received two bids for telecommunications licences from the MTN Group and a consortium led by Vodafone Group, including Kenya's Safaricom. The Ethiopia Communications Authority (ECA) said it will select the winners of the two telecom licences and make a formal announcement after the technical and financial evaluation is completed.

Earlier, Safaricom said it made a formal bid to get a licence to operate in Ethiopia. It told shareholders that it had submitted its proposal in a consortium it is leading with its parent firms Vodafone and Vodacom, UK development finance agency CDC Group and Japan's Sumitomo Corporation.

Winners in the bidding will receive the green light to start to operate mobile voice, data and SMS services only. The opening of the two licences is part of a bigger plan to liberalise Ethiopia’s key industries and markets, which have until now remain shut to foreign participants.

In June 2020, the ECA received twelve submissions as expression of interest (EOIs) for the two available licences, including from Etisalat, Saudi Telecom Company and Liquid Telecom. The submission of EOIs was preceded by a public consultation process following an October 2018 decision by the Ethiopian government to liberalise the telecommunications sector.


Categories:

Mobile

Companies:

Vodafone,  Vodafone Group,  MTN,  Safaricom,  Sumitomo,  Vodacom

Countries:

Ethiopia

Tags:

Government telecommunications licensing, Network operations services, Wireline, Wireless, Enterprise, M&A buyouts & divestments

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