Addis Ababa: TECHz – News Desk
As Ethiopia continues its rapid urban development, Ethio telecom is shifting the conversation around construction to ensure that modern buildings in Addis Ababa and beyond are equipped for the digital age.
Moving beyond its traditional role as a communications utility, the state-owned operator is pushing for fibre-ready buildings to form the backbone of the country’s digital transformation. This initiative is a core component of the company’s ambitious “Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028” strategy, which aims to transition Ethio telecom from a traditional connectivity provider into a leading digital solutions enterprise.
In partnership with The Urban Center, Ethio telecom recently engaged architects, civil engineers, and real estate developers to emphasize the integration of Fibre-to-the-Home and Fibre-to-the-Room technologies directly into building blueprints. By designing buildings to be fibre-ready from the ground up, developers can overcome the capacity bottlenecks often experienced with traditional wireless setups. Pre-installed infrastructure significantly reduces long-term operations and maintenance costs while ensuring high-speed, reliable gigabit internet access to individual rooms and enterprise offices. These advanced connectivity solutions are being designed to maintain service stability even during power outages.
Ethio telecom’s push for smart buildings is supported by extensive national infrastructure expansions that accommodate data-heavy construction technologies like Building Information Modelling and Digital Twin technology. The company has rapidly scaled its network capabilities, boasting a fibre backbone of over 23,000 kilometers and 14,769 kilometers of metro fibre. With 4G LTE coverage reaching 1,069 cities to serve 74% of the population, and 10,438 mobile stations nationwide, the groundwork is firmly in place. To meet future demands, Ethio telecom is also actively deploying dedicated Fibre to the Tower installations in major cities to support upcoming 5G requirements.
Ethio telecom’s leadership has made it clear that connectivity alone is not the end goal. CEO Frehiwot Tamiru has emphasized that the company’s transformation aligns with the national Digital Ethiopia 2030 vision, focusing on job creation, economic growth, and digital inclusion. Recent partnerships, including a strategic alliance with Huawei, are set to co-develop industry-specific digital solutions that combine cloud computing, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and cybersecurity. As modern construction projects increasingly rely on massive data generation, Ethio telecom’s expanding data center capacity and fibre networks ensure that Ethiopia’s infrastructure is built with a resilient digital nervous system.
