Global Partnership for Ethiopia, a consortium led by Safaricom, has received a license award from the Government of Ethiopia to operate telecom services in the country. The aim is to support the digital transformation of Ethiopia and provide telecommunication services to its citizens. The consortium placed a US$850 million bid to bag the license. 

The winner consortium consists of Safaricom, a partner member of the Vodafone Group, Vodacom Group, Vodafone Group, Sumitomo Corporation and CDC Group. The team will establish a new operating company in Ethiopia, which will start to provide telecommunication services from 2022. 

The Telecom Market Liberalization project was created to bring transformational economic and social impact in Ethiopia, by providing accessible, affordable and high-quality mobile and internet connectivity.