Ethio Telecom Posts Strong First-Half Performance as Data and Mobile Money Fuel Revenue Surge
February 4th 2026
Ethio Telecom reported a sharp rise in revenue in the first half of the current fiscal year, posting 85.02 billion birr, driven largely by rapid growth in data usage and mobile money transactions. The strong performance came despite persistent foreign currency shortages and mounting regulatory pressures facing the state-owned operator.
The revenue figure marks an 81 percent increase from the 62.06 billion birr recorded during the same period last year, the company disclosed during a media briefing held on Thursday. The century-old telecom operator used the occasion to present its first-half performance report to journalists.
Chief Executive Officer Frehiwot Tamiru said the revenue growth was mainly the result of increased customer usage rather than tariff adjustments introduced in December.
“The growth is not associated with the tariff revision,” she said. “The surge in data traffic clearly indicates a shift in customer behaviour.”
Data consumption rose by 46.6 percent over the six-month period, highlighting rising demand for digital connectivity and mobile-based services across the country. This trend has become a central pillar of Ethio Telecom’s expanding revenue base.
The company also reported foreign currency earnings of 88.19 million US dollars, representing an 83 percent increase compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year. These gains were supported by international services and the expansion of digital platforms.
Network expansion continued at pace, with the total number of mobile sites reaching 10,288 across 133 towns and cities nationwide. Ethio Telecom added 278 new sites during the first half of the fiscal year alone, including 130 located in rural areas, underscoring its focus on extending connectivity beyond urban centres.
Despite the strong financial and operational performance, Frehiwot cautioned that limited access to foreign currency remains a major challenge in financing the company’s ambitious infrastructure expansion plans. She also cited regulatory pressures, particularly mandatory infrastructure-sharing requirements, which she said have added operational strain.
Mobile financial services remained a major growth engine for the company. Telebirr now boasts more than 58 million users, with cumulative transactions totaling 6.88 trillion birr across 2.98 billion transactions since the platform’s launch.
During the current fiscal year alone, Telebirr transaction values reached 1.9 trillion birr—up 94 percent year-on-year—while transaction volumes surged 108 percent to one billion transactions. Ethio Telecom also reaffirmed its role as a major contributor to public finances, reporting tax payments of 35.62 billion birr during the reporting period, further cementing its position as one of the government’s largest sources of revenue.
Back