ADDIS ABABA (ECA) – The Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA) launched the request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for two new telecommunications licenses in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
The ECA is managing the license issuance process, which is a major development in the liberalization of Ethiopia’s telecommunications market. The issuance of the two new licenses to telecommunications companies, in addition to the existing license held by Ethio Telecom, is part of the Government of Ethiopia’s Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda to introduce competition into the sector. The primary goals of the government are to increase access to reliable and efficient communications services for all Ethiopians, leading to improvements in quality of life and in connectivity to support rapid economic transformation, and to maximize the opportunity presented by the digital economy.
The launch of the EOI represents a significant milestone. Since the public consultation held in November 2019, ECA has undertaken a number of important activities, such as hiring the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as a transaction advisor and drafting numerous directives that will shape a robust legal and regulatory framework.
The sector liberalization process is continuing amid the Covid-19 crisis which shows the government’s strong will to fight the pandemic while keeping track of the ongoing economic reforms. ECA recognizes that the COVID-19 crisis has had a drastic impact on the global economy and continues to be a rapidly evolving situation. The priority of Ethiopia’s government is to fight this unseen enemy, supporting Ethiopian health workers and saving lives. The pandemic has underscored the importance of having reliable and accessible telecommunications to ensure the safety and well-being of Ethiopians and to maintain business continuity. Therefore, ECA remains committed to opening up the telecom sector and unlocking the transformational power of the digital economy.
Two nationwide telecommunications service licenses will be awarded to two qualified telecommunications companies selected through a competitive bidding process in accordance with the Communications Service Proclamation No. 1148/2019.
Interested parties are hereby invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) no later than 12 p.m. East Africa Time (GMT+3), on 22nd June 2020. Guidelines on the EOI submission are available in the Public Notice accessible at http://www.eca.et.
About the Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA)
The ECA was established on August 12, 2019 under Communications Service Proclamation No. 1148/2019 as an independent Federal Government Authority. The objectives of the ECA are to promote the development of high quality, efficient, reliable and affordable communications services throughout the nation, to promote a competitive market for the achievement of these goals, and to promote accessibility and interests of the customers.
Source: ECA
That is great news to hear! Great days for Ethio information epoch !