Ethio Telecom announced that it began undertaking a new expansion plan in order to double the capacity and improve the quality of its services. The expansion plan is at its initial stage of selecting companies to undertake the expansion and examine the extent of the expansion.

The Telecom’s new CEO, Frehiwot Tamiru, said the decision came after the decline in capacity and quality of services which led to customer dissatisfaction. The CEO said, “The current network is congested, juggling more than it can handle.” She added, “Unaffordable prices added to lower living standards have been a source of despair for users. Customers spend over five percent of their monthly income on telecom services, which by international standards is too high.” The Telecom provides nearly 20 services.

In order to prevent illegal sales of SIM cards, the company cancelled contracts with agents that retail the SIM cards. The sale of SIM cards will be continued in hotels, restaurants and supermarkets in addition to Ethio Telecom’s 217 shops. The Telecom is also working to replace vouchers with electronic means of recharging credit and according to the CEO; the telecom is buying equipments to mitigate network congestion.

Source: Addis Fortune