(Ecofin Agency) - Ethio Telecom is committed to becoming the instrument of Ethiopia's digital transformation. The state-owned company recently signed an agreement with the Ministry of Revenue to digitalize tax payments.

On Tuesday, June 6, incumbent operator Ethio Telecom announced that it signed an agreement with the Addis Ababa city administration to deploy a software-defined wide area network and state-of-the-art infrastructure. The infrastructure will interconnect the various offices in the Ethiopian capital, ensuring fast, seamless, and reliable connectivity.

According to the incumbent operator, the planned technologies will encompass the latest operating system, of high quality, reliability, and efficiency. These advancements aim to deliver superior services to city residents while maximizing performance capacity and service efficiency.

The project is in line with the Ethiopian government's digital transformation ambitions set out in the "Digital Ethiopia 2025" plan.

It also aligns with Ethio Telecom’s new three-year development strategy "Lead" unveiled in September 2022. Through this strategy, the state-owned company is committed to offering new solutions beyond connectivity, and to working towards digital transformation.

Last November, the incumbent operator signed an agreement to transform Adama into a smart city. Last April, it signed another agreement with the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia to digitize the country's judicial system. It also has an ongoing partnership with the Ministry of Revenue to enable tax payments through its mobile financial service, Telebirr.

Isaac K. Kassouwi