Saturday, November 2, 2024

Safaricom Ethiopia strikes deal to acquire 68 telecom towers

By Eyasu Zekarias, photo by anteneh aklilu

Safaricom Ethiopia has inked a significant agreement to acquire 68 newly assembled telecom towers, marking a milestone in the country’s telecom infrastructure development.

In a recent statement, Safaricom Ethiopia revealed that it has finalized a deal with Woda Metal Industrial Park, a prominent tower manufacturing company. As part of the agreement, Woda Metal Industrial Park will produce a total of 68 network towers over the next three months. Currently, Safaricom Ethiopia has taken possession and assembled 13 of these towers.

The telecom giant has allocated a substantial budget of 50 million birr for the manufacturing of these towers in the initial phase. Wim Vanhellepute, CEO of Safaricom Ethiopia, expressed his enthusiasm about this development, labeling it as a historic moment for the company. Vanhellepute emphasized the high quality and cost-effectiveness of the towers, highlighting the importance of such agreements in supporting local industries and bolstering Ethiopia’s economic growth.

This initiative is part of Safaricom Ethiopia’s ambitious plan to erect 5,000 telecom towers, with a planned network expansion investment totaling $1.5 billion over the next three years. Presently, the company boasts a network of over 2,800 operational telecom towers.

Woda Metal Industrial Park, with over 18 years of experience, has established itself as a key player in manufacturing transmission towers for various sectors, including telecommunications, broadcasting, and television. Through this collaboration, both Safaricom Ethiopia and Woda Metal Industrial Park aim to contribute significantly to the advancement of Ethiopia’s telecom infrastructure landscape and facilitate the country’s technological progress.

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