by The Fikiria Desk | May 22, 2021 | Profiles
It is tempting to read a landmark win as the work of a single decisive figure. The more useful reading is usually the opposite. On 22 May 2021, a Safaricom-led consortium secured Ethiopia’s first private nationwide telecommunications licence, ending a state...
by The Fikiria Desk | May 22, 2021 | Economics
A monopoly is an economic decision as much as a corporate one. For two decades Ethiopia chose to keep telecommunications inside a single state operator, and the whole economy absorbed the cost of that choice in the form of thin coverage, limited digital services and...
by The Fikiria Desk | May 22, 2021 | Money
A licence bid is a promise made in cash. On 22 May 2021, a Safaricom-led international consortium made an US$850m one, winning Ethiopia’s first private nationwide telecommunications licence and ending the state operator’s exclusive position. The number is...
by The Fikiria Desk | May 22, 2021 | Farming
The distance between an Ethiopian farmer and a fair price has often been measured in missing information. Without a reliable connection, a smallholder in the highlands cannot check a market rate, arrange transport, or reach a buyer beyond the nearest town. On 22 May...
by The Fikiria Desk | May 22, 2021 | Intellectual
Every closed market eventually faces the same decision: open on your own terms, or wait until the terms are set for you. On 22 May 2021, Ethiopia chose the first path, awarding a Safaricom-led consortium its first private nationwide telecommunications licence and...