Ethiopia's state-owned telecommunications company Ethio Telecom, which has 64 million subscribers across the nation, has launched the first 5G network in the Horn of Africa.

For now, the network will first be available in certain locations in Addis Ababa, such as Bole International Airport and Ethio Telecom's headquarters. Plans are underway to expand the network to Addis Ababa and major Ethiopian cities in the next 12 months.

Ethiopia has become one of the few African countries to launch a fifth-generation network. These countries are: South Africa, Seychelles, Botswana, Mauritius and Zimbabwe. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had recently granted final approval to two network carriers to launch a 5G network. Also, the Kenya Communications Authority said in February 2022 that it will roll out its 5G network on a pilot basis this year.

Experts estimate that about 20 million people in Africa will become 5G network users in the next 5 years.