Chinese equipment provider ZTE has been awarded a $400 million contract by Ethiopia’s monopoly operator, Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation (ETC), to expand wireless network infrastructure across the East African country.

Chinese equipment provider ZTE has been awarded a $400 million contract by Ethiopia’s monopoly operator, Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation (ETC), to expand wireless network infrastructure across the East African country. Under the four-year agreement, around 900,000 wireless telephone lines will be deployed in rural towns in the next two years by ZTE. ETC’s mobile network coverage is likely to be increased to 64 per cent of the population, with wireless telephony services reaching 90 per cent.