State-owned Ethio Telecom announced plans to migrate 100,000 customers from copper to fiber broadband connections in the current fiscal year as part of an ongoing modernization drive.
In a statement, the telecoms provider said over 60,000 customers in the capital Addis Ababa will have their connections upgraded in addition to 40,000 in regional areas.
The first phase of migrations begins in early October and will see 31,000 customers switched over to fiber. Ethio Telecom aims to complete the full transition of Addis Ababa's network within three years followed by regional capitals in the following five years.
"As we focus on more reliable technologies like fiber, LTE and 5G, this significant infrastructure upgrade will enhance service delivery for customers," said the statement.
It added the migrations will be conducted free of charge by Ethio Telecom staff visiting homes and businesses.
Ethio Telecom views the project as crucial to digitizing the economy and making Ethiopia more competitive globally. However, close cooperation from customers will be needed during the transition process, it noted.
