(Ecofin Agency) - Ethiopian state-owned telecom operator Ethio Telecom signed, Monday (April 11), an exclusive three-year contractual agreement with five virtual service providers to resell its Internet service. The service providers are WebSprix IT Solutions PLC, VIVATECH Trading PLC, Zergaw ISP, Skynet IT Solution PLC, and Dulle Business Group. 

“Per the signed contract, the mentioned five partner firms would exclusively purchase the fixed bandwidth internet service from Ethio telecom and provide high bandwidth internet service to the customers across the country for the coming three consecutive years; making it possible for customers to have more options when it comes to getting fixed broadband internet services- from these five partner organizations in addition to Ethio telecom’s sales centers,”  Ethio Telecom announced in a release. 

The initiative is part of Ethio Telecom's strategy to make broadband Internet available nationwide in support of Ethiopia's national digital transformation strategy. Pending the launch of operations by rival Safaricom, which holds the country's second telecom license, the state-owned company has expanded its infrastructure. It also applied massive discounts on its fixed broadband internet subscriptions to meet the ever-increasing demand.  

Ultimately, the new partnership will help Ethio Telecom boost internet penetration in Ethiopia and bridge the digital divide. Currently, the operator’s target is to bring fixed broadband internet to 3 million users by 2026 to strengthen its position in the local market. 

Isaac K. Kassouwi