Stakeholder Consultation on Directives is organized by ECA

Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA), announced a public stakeholder's consultation on draft directives prepared by the Authority. The three directives that are public for consultation this time are (a) Telecommunications Licensing Directive, (b) Consumers Rights and Protection Directive, and (c) Dispute Resolution Directive. According to ECA, there are also some more additional directives to be announced. Contributions from stakeholders on each directive is encouraged and the official consultation will be carried out from April 28, 2020  until May 11, 2020. For more instructions on how to participate, please visit this link from the ECA's home page. 

Ethiopian Communications Authority Clarified Issues Regarding the Liberalization and Privatization Processes Underway

The Ethiopian Communications Authority (ATA) has announced officially to clarify some issues that have been raised in the local media with respect to the Liberalization and Privatization processes underway in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. As per this statement, Privatization is the process of partially privatizing the incumbent telecom operator which is managed by the Ministry of Finance, Ethio Telecom, and the Ethiopian Public Enterprises Holdings Agency while the Authority is primary responsibility with regards to the telecom reform agenda leading to the Liberalization process.

Further more, liberalization of the telecommunications sector essentially entails introducing competition in the sector by allowing new telecom business operators to invest in Ethiopia within government-defined policies, laws, and regulations. In this regard, the Authority currently is finalizing its responses and recommendations on the numerous questions and suggestions that have been raised by stakeholders with regards to the planned regulatory framework during the public consultation period. The Authority will also provide a timeline for the issuance of two new telecom operators shortly.  Read the full statement using this link.

Ethiopia has Launched its First Satellite into Space

Ethiopia has launched its first satellite into space to monitor climate change and improve research in agriculture and drought preparedness. The satellite, named ETRSS-1, was launched from China on Friday.  Government officials, led by Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen and former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, witnessed the launch from the Entoto Space Observatory in the capital, Addis Ababa. Ethiopia plans to launch a broadcast satellite into space in the next three years.

"This will be a foundation for our historic journey to prosperity," deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen said in a speech at the launch event broadcast on state television.  The launch of the Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite took place at a space station in China.

Most international media like BBC, Al Jazeera,  Africanews, Japantimes, Quartzafrica, etc. reported the event.

Introduction to Android Programming in Amharic

Tutorials

This tutorial is in Amharic to give some guidance on how you can program a mobile application using Android for beginners and the whole tutorial is organized in step-by-step manner to be very simple to users. The background language is in Java and users required to have a JDK (Java Development Kit) and also the Android Studio to start programming. As every body knows, programming is not easy and it is usually time taking activity specifically for beginners. By following the tutorials one by one starting from Tutorial #1, anyone can start creating a working Mobile Application. This tutorial is used to guide you step by step how you can program using Android Studio a mobile application in Amharic. ይህ መልመጃ Tutorial እንዴት Android Studioን በመጠቀም  የሞባይል ፕሮግራሞችን መፃፍ እንደምትችሉ ደረጃ በደረጃ የሚያስተምር  ቪዲዮ ነው።  Click this link to read more.

Ethiopia plans to give a 15 years Operating License to the new Telecom Operators

Ethiopia plans to give a 15 years Operating License to the new Telecom Operators to join the Ethiopian Telecom Market. According to the government's decision to open the telecommunications sector to the competition, it was announced that two companies that join the sector will be licensed for 15 years. A legal framework for the companies' open bidding is being prepared.

According to the press-conference given by the Director General of the Ethiopian Communication Authority, Balcha Reba, jointly with the Ministry of Finance Senior Advisor Dr. Brook Taye on Tuesday, November 12, 2019, operators licensed to enter the Ethiopian Telecom sector are given 15 years' operation licenses and will be subject renewal when the period expires. As per Dr. Brook, it is understood that some companies are expressing their intentions to enter in the telecom service, but government will announce the bid officially in March and until this date the government has no plan to pre-select bidders.

Africans Face Most Expensive Internet Charges in the World

As per the report from CNN, consumers in African countries are paying some of the highest rates in the world for internet access as a proportion of income, according to a new report released by the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) Tuesday, Oct 22, 2019.  A4AI assessed 136 low and middle-income countries for their annual affordability report stating that citizens in a countries like Chad, DR Congo, and the Central African Republic must pay more than 20% of average earnings for 1GB of mobile broadband data where as 1GB of mobile broadband data should not cost more than 2% of average monthly income. By contrast, Egypt at 0.5% and Mauritius at 0.59% are considered to be the most affordable rates in the continent. 

According to the same report, the average rate of 1GB  mobile broadband data across the African continent is 7.12%, of the monthly income and in some cases the 1GB costs more than a 20% of the average earnings.

Please read the full article for more information using the link.

Government of Ethiopia Could Issue More Mobile-phone Network Licenses

Bloomberg published an article titled "Ethiopia Could Sell Majority Stake in State Telecom Monopoly" indicating that Ethiopia may give up majority control over its telecommunications monopoly in the second phase of privatization once it’s sold 49% of the company next year. Referring Mr. Balcha Reba, director-general at the newly established Ethiopian Communications Authority, stated that the government could also issue more mobile-phone network licenses over the long term beyond the two already planned for March 2020. Liberalizing the sector will improve service quality, increase choice for customers and spur investment.

According to the same report, international carriers including Orange SA, MTN Group Ltd. and Vodafone Group Plc’s African unit are among companies that are interested in expanding in Ethiopia, seen as the last major market on the continent closed to independent operators.

Read the full article by Nizar Manek and John Bowker using this link.