Ethio Telecom to Expand 4G Network to 11,014 Sites in 2026/27
Ethio telecom plans to significantly expand its 4G network during the 2026/27 budget year, increasing the number of LTE sites from 6,924 to 11,014, according ......
Black News 
Ethio telecom plans to significantly expand its 4G network during the 2026/27 budget year, increasing the number of LTE sites from 6,924 to 11,014, according to its Next Horizon – Digital & Beyond Strategy 2028 Year II Annual Business Plan published on September 3, 2026.
The operator said the expansion will strengthen network capacity, coverage and service quality as Ethiopia’s demand for digital connectivity continues to grow. The plan states that the company will add 5,417 4G sites during the budget year, although the stated site totals imply an increase of 4,090 sites. The figures have therefore been retained as presented in the company’s plan.
The expansion is expected to raise 4G population coverage from 82.23% to 95%, while geographic coverage will increase from 36.3% to 54%. The number of towns covered by LTE is also targeted to rise from 1,200 to 1,500, extending high-speed mobile connectivity to more communities.
Ethio telecom will also expand its wider mobile infrastructure as part of the network programme. Macro sites are planned to increase from 10,159 to 11,179, while rural sites will rise from 454 to 1,059. Indoor coverage solutions are expected to increase from 510 to 634 sites, while Massive MIMO deployments will expand from 424 to 1,161 sites to improve network capacity and data throughput.
The operator is simultaneously targeting continued 5G growth, with 5G sites planned to increase from 340 to 648 and the number of 5G-covered towns rising from 33 to 73. Overall mobile network capacity is expected to grow from 115.1 million to 135.7 million subscriber capacity, with 4G capacity increasing from 22.79 million to 35.31 million.
Rural connectivity is another major component of the plan. Ethio telecom said it will deploy 1,685 additional mobile sites, including 605 dedicated rural sites, with the objective of extending connectivity to more than 1,400 kebeles and about 4.5 million citizens.
The network expansion forms part of Ethio telecom’s broader Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028 strategy, which seeks to move the company beyond traditional telecommunications toward a technology-focused digital services business. The operator said the second year of the strategy will place greater emphasis on customer experience, service quality, network modernization and digital infrastructure.
The company also plans to strengthen its fibre infrastructure, including increasing backbone fibre from 23,442 km to 25,642 km and expanding fibre connectivity to support mobile networks and high-speed data transmission.
Ethio telecom’s 2026/27 plan therefore positions network expansion as a central pillar of its digital transformation, with the 4G rollout expected to play a particularly important role in improving nationwide broadband access and supporting the country’s growing digital economy.
