ECA awards first telecom licence to Vodafone-led consortium


The Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA) has awarded the first of its 2 tendered telecom licences to a Vodafone-led consortium.

Bids were submitted on 26 April (2021).

The sponsors will set up the first privately-owned mobile network in Ethiopia, which is expected to cost at least $200 million.

The members of the consortium – the Global Partnership for Ethiopia (GPE) – are:

  • Vodafone
  • Vodacom
  • Safaricom
  • Sumitomo Corporation
  • Development Finance Corporation (US-DFC)

The consortium is also being supported by the CDC Group.

The GPE was 1 of 2 consortia that submitted RFP bids for the tender, the ECA said in a release. The other bidding group is an MTN-led consortium which is supported by the Silk Road Fund.

The ECA is being advised on the tender by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

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