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Ethio Telecom Adjusts Tariffs Amid Rising Costs and Network Expansion
Addis Ababa, December 29, 2025
Ethio Telecom has announced a moderate adjustment to its telecom tariffs, citing rising operational and investment costs alongside continued expansion of national telecommunications infrastructure.
In a statement issued on Monday, the state owned operator said the decision was driven by prevailing macroeconomic pressures and the growing cost of maintaining and upgrading network and digital services. The company said the adjustment is intended to ensure service continuity and quality while sustaining long term infrastructure development.
Ethio Telecom noted that over the past six years it has implemented repeated tariff reductions while significantly expanding telecom and digital infrastructure across the country. During this period, its customer base grew to more than 86 million subscribers, with telebirr users exceeding 56 million.
According to the company, current economic conditions and increased capital requirements for network expansion have made a tariff revision unavoidable.
The operator said it has taken measures to limit the impact on customers. The discount on bundle purchases through the telebirr Super App has been increased from 10 percent to 20 percent. Prices for 38 widely used bundles will remain unchanged, along with low cost digital inclusion bundles priced at 1 birr, 2 birr, 5 birr and one hour packages. Bundles designed for students, teachers and persons with disabilities will also remain unaffected.
Ethio Telecom said the adjustments are designed to balance financial sustainability with affordability and digital inclusion.
The announcement comes amid broader pricing pressures in Ethiopia’s telecommunications sector. Safaricom Ethiopia recently revised its mobile data bundle prices, also citing rising operational costs, infrastructure investment needs, inflation and foreign exchange constraints.
Safaricom Ethiopia said the price changes, announced on December 23, 2025, are aimed at maintaining reliable and high quality mobile data services while continuing network expansion. The company reported that its subscriber base has surpassed 12 million users.
Both operators said the adjustments are part of efforts to sustain service quality in a capital intensive and rapidly expanding telecom market.
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