 PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION |
In order to achieve its objectives, the Organization has successfully undergone through six five-years development programs and currently is implementing the 7th program with aims at modernizing the network with further expansion of the international, domestic, and significantly the rural transmission and switching facilities to help keep up with the development requirements of the country.
It is worthy to note that the operating fund for these programs is mainly attributed to revenues generated from the services rendered, while the remaining portion is derived in the form of grant and loan from various international lending institutions such as the World Bank and donor countries.
| PRESENT SITUATION |
Today, 45 years after the establishment of the Ethiopian Telecommunications Authority as an autonomous institution, the service has expanded to nearly 550 cities, towns and rural villages throughout the country. Regarding international services Ethiopia has telecommunication access to all countries of the world directly or indirectly through Sululta Satellite Earth Station which operates with INTELSAT.
Recently, in November 1996 the organization has undergone another structural change and has been named as "The Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation", led by a Managing Director who is the chief executive under the direction of an independent Board of Directors.
At present the Corporation is structured with several Departments, Divisions and Regional and Zonal Offices. The total number of employees of the Organization has reached over 6, 000. |
As regard to the implementation of the current development program, several projects have been executed during the last few years. In line with the expansion of telecom services, additional new communication facilities like the Internet and Mobile telephony are being introduced.
In order to meet the increasingly growing demand of the telephone, nearly 110, 000 additional lines capacity has been added to the national network in more than 15 towns and villages. This brings the total number of telephone subscribers to 260, 000.
On the transmission side, the following major projects have been completed as part of the program.
21 Microwave Routes
37 VHF links
122 DRMASS Stations
9 UHF links
28 HF Stations
2 Dom-Sat Stations
14 V-Sat Stations
At the end of the Program, it is believed that telephone penetration rate will be raised from the present 0.3 to over one telephone per 100 population which is indicated at the UN Transport and Communication Decade Program. |
