Kenyan operator Safaricom has bid for one of the two telecommunications licences available in neighbouring Ethiopia, The Standard reported. Safaricom said it has submitted an expression of interest, with expectations that the selection of companies to set up operations in Ethiopia would be complete in 2021. Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said the decision by the Ethiopian government might be delayed by complications caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ndegwa said Ethiopia is probably one of the few remaining market opportunities for telecom firms, noting that the country has said it will offer telecommunication licences for sale soon and has already asked for expressions of interest.
Ethiopia’s Communication Authority invited international firms last month to bid for the two licences. The Ethiopian telecommunications market has so far been closed by the state but is now being opened up to foreign firms. The population of over 100 million people is currently served by only one operator, state-owned Ethio Telecom.
