Communications in Ethiopia
Encyclopedia
Telecommunications in Ethiopia is currently a monopoly in the control of the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC); all telephone service and internet access requires ETC to be involved. As of 2006, 866,700 cellular phones and 725,000 main line phones were in use.
and microwave
radio
relay system adequate for government use. Domestic systems are open wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in the HF
, VHF
, and UHF
frequencies; two domestic satellites provide the national trunk service. International systems are open wire to Sudan
and Djibouti
; microwave radio relay to Kenya
and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat
(1 Atlantic Ocean
and 2 Pacific Ocean
).
The Ethiopian dial plan changed on September 17, 2005. City codes (i.e., internal prefixes) changed from two digits to three (or, from outside Ethiopia, one digit to two). Phone numbers changed from six digits to seven.
As of 2007, there were 89 internet hosts. As of 2005, there were 164,000 internet users. Ethiopia's country code (TLD) is .et
.
line in Ethiopia was constructed in the years 1897 - 1899 between the cities of Harar
and the capital Addis Ababa
. This was extended in 1904 by a line that ran from Addis Ababa through Tigray
into Eritrea
and to Massawa
; and the next year by a line again from Addis Ababa to Gore
in the province of Illubabor
and Jimma
in Kaffa
.
The first telephones were brought by Ras Makonnen
from Italy in 1890, and connected between the Palace and the Imperial treasury; the sound of disembodied voices frightened the local priests, who thought it was the work of demon
s. The Emperor Menelik II responded to their protests with disdain, and later used the telephone to give orders to his provincial governors. Emperor Haile Selassie had begun the process of introducing radio
transmitters to the country for civilian and military use in the years before the Italian invasion
.
Since 2008 CDMA2000
and WCDMA is available in certain areas.
Overview
The telephone system consists of open wireWire
A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various...
and microwave
Microwave
Microwaves, a subset of radio waves, have wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimeter, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. This broad definition includes both UHF and EHF , and various sources use different boundaries...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
relay system adequate for government use. Domestic systems are open wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in the HF
High frequency
High frequency radio frequencies are between 3 and 30 MHz. Also known as the decameter band or decameter wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decameters . Frequencies immediately below HF are denoted Medium-frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Very high frequency...
, VHF
Very high frequency
Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
, and UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
frequencies; two domestic satellites provide the national trunk service. International systems are open wire to Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
; microwave radio relay to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat
Intelsat
Intelsat, Ltd. is a communications satellite services provider.Originally formed as International Telecommunications Satellite Organization , it was—from 1964 to 2001—an intergovernmental consortium owning and managing a constellation of communications satellites providing international broadcast...
(1 Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and 2 Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
).
The Ethiopian dial plan changed on September 17, 2005. City codes (i.e., internal prefixes) changed from two digits to three (or, from outside Ethiopia, one digit to two). Phone numbers changed from six digits to seven.
As of 2007, there were 89 internet hosts. As of 2005, there were 164,000 internet users. Ethiopia's country code (TLD) is .et
.et
.et is the country code top-level domain for Ethiopia. It is also the French and Latin word for "And". This would allow for many domain hacks, if it weren't for the fact that second level domain names aren't sold...
.
History
The first telegraphTelegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
line in Ethiopia was constructed in the years 1897 - 1899 between the cities of Harar
Harar
Harar is an eastern city in Ethiopia, and the capital of the modern Harari ethno-political division of Ethiopia...
and the capital Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
. This was extended in 1904 by a line that ran from Addis Ababa through Tigray
Tigray Region
Tigray Region is the northernmost of the nine ethnic regions of Ethiopia containing the homeland of the Tigray people. It was formerly known as Region 1...
into Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
and to Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
; and the next year by a line again from Addis Ababa to Gore
Gore, Ethiopia
Gore is a town in southwestern Ethiopia. Located south of Metu in the Illubabor Zone of the Oromia Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2085 meters....
in the province of Illubabor
Illubabor Province
Illubabor was a province in the south-western part of Ethiopia, along the border with Sudan. The name Illubabor is said to come from two Oromo words, "Illu" and "Abba Bor". "Illu" is a name of a clan, and "Abba Bor" was the horse name of Chali Shone, who founded the ruling family of the area when...
and Jimma
Jimma
Jimma, also Jima, is the largest city in southwestern Ethiopia. Located in the Jimma Zone of the Oromia Region, it has a latitude and longitude of . The town was the capital of Kaffa Province until the province was dissolved. Prior to the 2007 census, Jimma was reorganized administratively as a...
in Kaffa
Kaffa
Kaffa is the name of several geographical entities:*Kingdom of Kaffa, ancient Kingdom of the Sidamo people.*Kaffa, former province in Ethiopia.*Kaffa people, an ethnic group in Ethiopia....
.
The first telephones were brought by Ras Makonnen
Ras Makonnen
Ras Mäkonnen Wäldä-Mika'él Guddisa, also Makonnen Wolde Mikael Gudessa or simply as Ras Makonnen, was a general and the governor of Harar province in Ethiopia, and the father of Tafari Mäkonnen, later known as the Emperor Haile Selassie I. His father was Fitawrari Woldemikael Guddessa of a noble...
from Italy in 1890, and connected between the Palace and the Imperial treasury; the sound of disembodied voices frightened the local priests, who thought it was the work of demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s. The Emperor Menelik II responded to their protests with disdain, and later used the telephone to give orders to his provincial governors. Emperor Haile Selassie had begun the process of introducing radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
transmitters to the country for civilian and military use in the years before the Italian invasion
Second Italo-Abyssinian War
The Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a colonial war that started in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war was fought between the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy and the armed forces of the Ethiopian Empire...
.
Current status
According to the ETC, the average rural inhabitant of Ethiopia has to walk 30 kilometers to the nearest phone. The ETC announced 7 September 2006 a program to improve national coverage, and reduce the average distance to 5 kilometers.Since 2008 CDMA2000
CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is a family of 3G mobile technology standards, which use CDMA channel access, to send voice, data, and signaling data between mobile phones and cell sites. The set of standards includes: CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. A, and CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. B...
and WCDMA is available in certain areas.
See also
- Internet in EthiopiaInternet in EthiopiaEthiopia has the second lowest Internet penetration rate in sub-Saharan Africa and is currently attempting a broad expansion of access throughout the country. These efforts have been hampered by the largely rural makeup of the Ethiopian population and the government’s refusal to permit any...
- Ethiopian Telecommunication AgencyEthiopian Telecommunication AgencyThe Ethiopian Telecommunication Agency is the part of the Ethiopian government which regulates the telecommunication sector of Ethiopia. Its objective is to promote the development of high quality, efficient, reliable and affordable telecommunication services in Ethiopia...
- Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation
- ETV (Ethiopia)ETV (Ethiopia)ETV is an Ethiopian government-owned television channel. It's the only one in Ethiopia due government ban of private media. Its programming includes news, sport, music and other entertainment...
- Media in EthiopiaMedia in EthiopiaThe Media in Ethiopia consists of radio and television, which remain under the control of the Ethiopian government, as well as private newspapers and magazines. In comparison to the length of Ethiopia's over-2,000-year history as a sovereign nation, the media is a very recent phenomenon.Ten radio...
External links
- GSM World page on Ethiopia
- PanAfriL10n page on Ethiopia
- "The Internet in Ethiopia" (2001 article)
- "Internet in Ethiopia Revisited – A Mixed Bag of Progress and Opportunities on-Hold" (2002 update of previous article)
- "Ethiopia's digital dream" (2005 Guardian UK article)