ETC extends services to 18 towns, 660 rural towns in East Region

Harrar, October 04, 2006 (WIC) – Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) announced that 18 towns have become beneficiaries of digital automatic telephone services, while 660 rural towns obtained wireless telephone services.

East Region General Manager with the Corporation, Wondawik Abeze, told WIC that the towns became beneficiaries of the services following the upgrading and cable installation works undertaken in the towns last fiscal year.

Of the 18 towns that became beneficiaries of digital telephone services,14 belonged to Oromia state and the rest to Somali state. The corporation also extended wireless telephone services to 660 rural kebeles in Oromia, Somali, and Harrari states as well as Diredawa administration, Wondawik explained.

Besides, ETC has installed public phones in 57 towns under the region, the General Manager said.

The corporation has invested more than 65.4 million birr for the construction, upgrading and cable installation works, it was indicated.

Wondawik further stated that the corporation has raised the number of mobile customers from 21,000 to more than 30,000 by upgrading the service in areas where it was available.

ETC carried out most of the construction and upgrading works in rural towns where telephone services were not available, the General Manager said.
(c) Walta Information Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia