The End of an Era: Ethio Telecom Phases Out Copper for High-Speed Fiber











Ethio Telecom has announced the launch of its “Copper Switch Off” service, aimed at modernizing wired broadband internet and data-based voice services by transitioning from copper lines to fiber optics.

Frehiwot Tamru, the CEO of Ethio Telecom, presented the new service to media professionals, explaining that copper technology has been a cornerstone of the telecommunications industry for over 150 years, and in Ethiopia, it has been in use for 130 years to provide landline telephone services. For the past 20 years, it has also been used to deliver internet services.

The “Copper Switch Off” initiative will allow customers to transition from copper to fiber lines at no additional cost. The project is set to benefit 60,000 customers in Addis Ababa and 40,000 customers in regional cities, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 100,000 in the current fiscal year.

Additionally, the company plans to upgrade the services of 10,000 customers by replacing copper lines with fiber networks, particularly in areas undergoing corridor development.

With the new fiber network, customers will experience improved performance in applications that streamline operations and simplify daily tasks. The existing fiber network can also be easily upgraded to meet future demands, with capacity increases from 1G to 10G, and even up to 50G by adjusting the fiber modules.

The initiative will also play a crucial role in supporting mission-critical services such as cloud and edge computing, IoT, artificial intelligence, entertainment, digital agriculture, healthcare, education, and smart home technologies.

This national project, which requires significant investment, is expected to fully transform Addis Ababa’s copper network within the next three years, with a plan to cover major regional cities in five years and further extend to zonal and district cities across the country.