In the Public Notice “Ethiopian Telecommunications Sector Stakeholder Consultation No. 001-2019”, the Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA) invited interested stakeholders to submit their comments on the overall telecommunications market opening process in the country. APC joined with the Alliance for Affordable Internet, Internet Society, Network for Digital Rights for Ethiopia and Bahir Dar Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) Research Center to submit comments with the common objective of helping to create quality and affordable telecommunications service for all Ethiopians.
The joint submission focuses on the core issues that the organisations involved believe to be important to create an inclusive and affordable sector that will benefit everyone, including those living in rural and sparsely populated regions. In particular, it focuses on opening up the market not only to large commercial operators, but also to smaller regional/local operators and community networks that fill the gap that large operators leave behind. This will necessitate the development of adapted licensing regimes and making resources such as spectrum accessible for these operators.