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Ethiopia’s telecommunications regulator awarded one operating licence to a consortium led by Kenya’s Safaricom (SCOM.NR) and Japan’s Sumitomo (8053.T), Brook Taye, a senior adviser at the finance ministry, said on Saturday.
The consortium, which includes Vodacom (VODJ.J), Vodafone (VOD.L), and British development finance agency CDC Group, paid $850 million for the licence, Brook said. South Africa’s MTN (MTNJ.J) had also bid for a licence.
Africa’s second-most populous country is hoping that the opening of one of the world’s last major closed telecoms markets will create millions of online job opportunities.
As the licence fee, the consortium plans to invest up to $8.5 billion in infrastructure among other areas, Brook said, adding that it was expected to create between 1 and 1.5 million jobs.
The operator will begin with 4G services, Brook said.
“We will soon open a bid for the remaining licence,” said Balcha Reba, director-general of the Ethiopian Communications Authority.
Balcha said MTN’s offer of $600 million was deemed too low.
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