Technology News - Ethiopian News
May 12, 2020 (Ezega.com) -- It took only a few decades to gain dominance, but the change was dramatic. I am talking about the online world and the technologies that made it possible. A simple comparison of life before and after the 21st century shows the stark difference. In the past, watching a movie, listening to your favorite songs, or accessing a book was a real task. Now, you can simply download and share it. Learning was also hard when your source of information is only the teacher or the library. Doing research or an assignment was demanding since information is limited. The online world solved such problems just by making everything avail
What Can ETRSS–01 Do for Ethiopia?
December 20, 2019 (Ezega.com) -- In today's world of wireless communications, high definition televisions, and global access to the Internet, many people are unclear about what satellite technology means and the inherent advantages of satellite communications.
In this period of high technology, it is impossible to achieve sustainable development without technology. The use of satellite communications is one of them.
Space study is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world. Mankind has always been eager to find out what is outside the world where we live. This curiosity has led humans to invent vari
Ethiopia Launches First Multi-Spectral Remote Sensing Satellite
December 19, 2019 (Ezega.com) -- Ethiopia has launched its first-ever Multi-Spectral Remote Sensing Satellite ET-RSS1 to space from China on Friday, December 20, 2019, at 3:21GMT.
An Ethiopian delegation comprises of high-level officials from the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, Members of Parliament, Ethiopian scientists witnessed the Ethiopian satellite going to space from China.
The Ethiopian ministry of defense fired 21 gun salutes as the nation launched the Satellite.
The 72kg multi-spectral remote sensing satellite of Ethiopia was the 99th satellites that were launched in 2019 by world coun
INSA Aborts Cyber Attacks on Financial Institutions
December 6, 2019 (Ezega.com) -- The Ethiopian Information Network Security Agency (INSA) has announced that it has aborted cyber attacks launched against financial institutions across the country.
Internet connection was cut off for about thirty minutes as the agency was struggling to defend the financial institutions from the attack, Deputy Director-General of the Agency Engineer Worku Gachena has said.
Swift actions are needed to thwart cyber attacks as the grand attacks have been increasing alarmingly in Ethiopia, according to Deputy Director-General.
Cyber-attacks have increased from 479 and 576 to 791 grand
Ethiopia to Open Telecom Sector to Multinationals, Sell Minority Share in Ethio Telecom
July 6, 2019 (Ezega.com) -- Ethiopia announced it will soon sell 49 percent stake in Ethio Telecom to private companies. It will also open the telecom sector to two other competing multinational companies, in addition to Ethio Telecom.
Ethio Telecom, which is 100 percent owned by the Ethiopian government, has so far been the sole owner of the telecom space in Ethiopia.
In a statement to the media, State Minister of Finance Eyob Tekalign said the government will also offer a minority stake in Ethio Telecom, and foreign firms will be invited to bid.
There will be 'two plus one' operatores,
Ethiopian Parliament Approves Telecom Privatization Bill
June 18, 2019 (Ezega.com) -- The Ethiopian parliament approved "Communications Service Proclamation" law. The law is meant to liberalize the Ethiopian telecom sector and establish a new telecom regulatory authority.
According to the new proclamation, telecommunications services, including ownership of a Telecommunications Operator or a Telecommunications Network, will be open to private domestic and foreign investors
Finance Minister Ahmed Shide said the government is preparing to privatize some state-owned entities. Minister Ahmed Shide further said Ethio Telecom will be split into two, according to FBC report. No further information wa
Ethiopia, China to Build Joint Communication, Broadcast Satellite
May 27, 2019 (Ezega.com) -- Ethiopia and China have signed agreement to jointly build a communication and broadcast satellite, according to FBC report.
The agreement was signed by in Addis Ababa by Dr. Solomon Belay, Director General of Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute, and Han Chinping, Deputy President of Chinese Rocket Company.
The satellite will be built by experts from both Ethiopia and China and will be locally sourced for 50% of the raw materials, according to the report.
Ethiopia's Multi-Spectral Remote Sensing Satellite ETRSS-1 will be launched into space in November 2019, the Ministry s
Ethiopia to Increase Internet Gateway Capacity
January 23, 2019 (Ezega.com) - In a bid to increase the country's internet gateway capacity, the ministry of innovative and Technology announced it was on course to replace the old WoredaNet with a new form of National Back Bone ICT set-up.
The ministry said this during a conference held on Tuesday to deliberate on issues touching on the government's ingenuity to improve the national core network and corresponding infrastructure with the industry stakeholders.
This comes at a time when the continent is still struggling to establish a robust internet infrastructure. In Ethiopia, there ar
Ethio-Telecom Reduces Rates for International Calls, SMS Service
December 20, 2018 (Ezega.com) - Ethio-Telecom announced rate reductions on international calls and international Short Message Service (SMS) effective December 21, 2018.
International calls rates will be reduced from 10 to 40 percent, whereas international SMS rates will be reduced by 51 percent.
Rates will be reduced by 40 percent for calls to South America, 20 percent on 70.9 traffic to Europe, and 20 percent on 99.8 traffic to North America.
Also, 15 percent reduction will apply on 85.6 percent traffic to Oceania, 15 percent reduction on 98.94 traffic to Asia and Middle East, and 10 percent reduction on 28.3 percent traffi
Ethiopia Still Tampering with Internet Access - Report
September 23, 2018 - Just five months into the new government of Dr. Abiy Ahmed, the administration is back into the old habit of tampering with internet in times of crisis, according to Netizen Report.
According to the report, "on September 17, in what appeared to be an effort to quell social unrest, mobile internet networks were shut down across the capital city. Ethio Telecom, the country's sole, government-owned internet and phone service provider, did not offer any public statement about the shutdown."
Dr. Abiy Ahmed came into office in April 2018 partly on promise of widening the political space and gauran
Ethio Telecom Announces Major Reduction on Internet, Voice Call, SMS Rates
August 22, 2018 - Ethio telecom today introduced new tariffs on its services, effective from today August 22, 2018, according to FBC news report.
The just announced new tariffs for internet, voice call, and SMS services gives major break to Ethiopian users who have been paying exorbitant amounts to the state monopoly for decades.
The company reduced 43% on mobile internet, 40% on voice call, 43% on SMS and 54% on broadband internet services.
Accordingly, the new tariff for mobile phone call will be 0.50 birr per minute, down from 0.83 birr. The price for mobile internet service per MB is reduced to 0
Foreign Firms Showing Interest in Ethio Telecom
August 3, 2018 - Several foreign companies are showing interest in Ethiopia's telecom sector, including acquiring minority shares, according to Reuters.
The companies that have shown interest include Vietnam's state-owned telecom company Viettel, Johannesburg-listed MTN, and France's Orange.
Viettel is eyeing opportunities in Ethiopia, a company official said on Monday, after the government there announced its intention to liberalise key economic sectors including telecommunications.
The Ethiopian government announced last month that it plans to sell minority shares in Ethiopian Airlines, Ethio Telecom, and other st
Ethio Telecom Appoints Frehiwot Tamiru New CEO
July 25, 2018 - The board of directors of Ethiopia's lone telecom company, Ethio Telecom, appointed new CEO, Frehiwot Tamiru, replacing Andualem Admassie (PhD), who served for five years. Andualem is now assigned as Director of the Higher Education Relevance and Quality Agency.
According to reports from Capital Ethiopia, it is also learnt that the company replaced 40 individuals who were working in different positions of the company were relived on Wednesday.
Frehiwot previously worked in the former Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation as deputy CEO for Internal Support Service. She then left to set up
Ethio Telecom Faces Currency Shortages, Unable to Pay Debt
November 12, 2017 - Ethio Telecom disclosed that it is unable to undertake planned projects for the budget year or pay its debts due to hard currency shortages in the country, CEO Andualem Admassie (PhD) said. The Ethiopian telecom CEO announced this earlier this week while presenting a report on the company's first quarter performance to the House of People's Representatives (HPR).
At the session, MPs questioned Andualem why, at mere 15 percent, the company's first-quarter capital expenditure fell far short of plan.
Andualem was straight in his response: "Yes, our expenditure is too low to achieve what we
Orchid Business Group, Enel Green Power Win Solar Development Project in Ethiopia
October 24, 2017 - A consortium of Enel Green Power, a subsidiary of Italian power giant Enel, and Ethiopian infrastructure company Orchid Business Group has won a 100MW (AC) solar tender floated by the utility Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP). The Ethiopian government agency invited proposals in May 2016, before five firms were shortlisted for the technical and financial proposal stage. These included Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), Meridiam-Solairedirect Consortium, Enel Green Power, The Building Energy Consortium, and CCE Oasis Technology Corporation.
The firms, which will invest around US$120 million in the project, will develop, build and
Ethiopian Airlines Becomes Paperless
September 30, 2017 - Ethiopian Airlines announced that it has fully taken paper out of its business operations. To commemorate the date Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam signed the company's last paper document approval and burnt down used papers. The Ethiopian disclosed that it has fully digitalized all its business processes like aircraft maintenance, flight operations, commercial operations, finance, human resource management, customer services, procurement, supply chain management, management approvals and authorizations by removing paper from the entire system as of September 28, 2017.
At a p
Ethiopia, UK to Cooperate in Expanding Off–Grid Household Solar Energy
August 3, 2017 - Ethiopia and the UK signed an agreement to work the acceleration of off–grid household solar energy market. Out of Ethiopia's 100 million population only 35 percent have access to electricity, according to Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and electricity. The agreement, which is part of the UK's Energy Africa campaign, was signed by Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity of Ethiopia H.E. Dr. Engineer Sileshi Bekele and British Ambassador to Ethiopia Susanna Moorehead.
Recently Ethiopia has embarked upon promoting Solar photovoltaics to replace fuel-based lighting and off-grid electrical needs. Ethiopia is
Ethiopian Mobile Assemblers Request Revision of Value Added Requirements
June 11, 2017 - The Ministry of Industry is looking into a proposal submitted by by mobile assemblers, requesting revision of its value addition requirements, according to the reporter.
This proposal came a year after a similar amendment of a value addition directive by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation (MoFEC). This particular directive changed the old directive which gave import privileges with an exemption of 30 percent or more, according to the rate of value addition on raw materials by local manufacturers.
It has transformed the expected value addition from one that universally applied for each indus
INSA Reports Ethiopia Hit by 256 Cyber Attacks in Six Months
May 19, 2017 - Ethiopia was hit by 256 grand cyber attacks in the first six months this fiscal year (2016/17), according to the Information Network Security Agency (INSA) of Ethiopia, reports FBC.
Telecommunication, financial institutions and infrastructures were among the targets of the attacks, Mohammed Edris, communication head of INSA told Fana Broadcasting Corporate yesterday.
He said Ethiopia was one of the 11 African nations targeted by last Friday's Wanna Cry ransomware cyber attack that hit 155 countries worldwide.
According to Mohammed, INSA was able to prevent the cyber attacks without causing ser
Ethiopia Launches Satellite Television Transmission Platform
April 21, 2017 - Information Network Security Agency (INSA) has launched a National Integrated Satellite Television Transmission Platform that would serve public and community media in Ethiopia, reports ENA.
INSA Director-General, Major General Teklebirhan Wolde-Aregay said the platform named "Ethiosat" will contribute to the effort underway to ensure equality and fairness of media usage as well as to create informed community.
Currently, there are 15 to 20 television channels that rent satellites individually to transmit their programs, the director-general stated, adding that the platform would create opportunities to all television sta
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