Ethio Telecom has announced the commercial launch of its 5G network, following earlier pre-commercial trials of the latest generation of mobile broadband technology. In a press release regarding the development, the operator confirmed it is initially offering 5G via 145 sites which have been deployed in the capital, Addis Ababa. According to Ethio Telecom, it is ‘ready to offer unlimited 5G data, 5G To The Home, and a variety of 5G mobile packages’, although it notes that to take up any of these new services customer will need a 5G-capable device.

In terms of pricing, Ethio Telecom’s website currently lists mobile 5G tariffs starting at ETB929 (USD17) per month for a plan offering 150GB of data, while unlimited data 5G plans start from ETB1,199; note that unlimited plans are subject to a fair usage allowance, with peak downlink speeds slowed to 8Mbps once this is exceeded. With regards to 5G fixed wireless services, meanwhile, Ethio Telecom is offering both volume-based and speed-based options, with an entry level plan for the former – which offers 150GB of data – costing ET789 per month. By comparison, the lowest price speed-based plan costs ETB2,999 per month and offers downlink rates of up to 50Mbps and unlimited data (again subject to a fair usage cap, after which speeds are throttled to 8Mbps).

As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, Ethio Telecom began offering 5G services on a pre-commercial basis back in May 2022, doing so in the capital, before it extended pre-commercial operations to Adama in November that year.