Ethio Telecom holds discussions with CDP leadership in Italy

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

The Chief Executive Officer of Ethio Telecom, Frehiwot Tamru, has held discussions with leadership of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) in Rome, Italy, to explore potential strategic collaboration and financing support for the company’s major digital transformation initiatives.

Tamru, accompanied by members of her executive management team, met with Carlo Rossotto, Director of Development Cooperation and International Institutional Relations at CDP, and his team at the organization’s headquarters. The meeting focused on identifying possible financing mechanisms to support Ethio telecom’s investment programs under its “Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond” strategy.

During the discussions, Tamru presented the strategy’s key priorities and outlined transformation initiatives planned for the company’s upcoming three-year strategic period. The plan aims to accelerate Ethiopia’s digital transformation while expanding the country’s digital infrastructure ecosystem.

The strategy includes major investments in expanding and modernizing telecommunications networks, strengthening digital and cloud infrastructure, and scaling innovative digital platforms and financial services such as Telebirr. It also seeks to advance new digital ecosystem initiatives designed to support broader economic transformation.

CDP officials expressed strong interest in supporting Ethio telecom’s strategic investment plans. Potential areas of collaboration discussed during the meeting included radio network expansion and modernization, development of advanced data centre infrastructure, and the deployment of energy-efficient and renewable power solutions, including solar energy systems.

The discussions also explored opportunities to support digital agriculture initiatives through innovative financing models that could leverage the Telebirr platform to enhance financial inclusion and strengthen Ethiopia’s agricultural value chains.

Rossotto and the CDP leadership provided an overview of the institution’s financing capabilities, partnership networks, and financial instruments that could support large-scale infrastructure and digital transformation projects. The meeting also examined how these mechanisms could contribute to funding Ethio telecom’s strategic initiatives throughout the implementation of its Next Horizon program.

CDP representatives commended Ethio telecom’s transformation and growth over the past six years, noting that the company has emerged as one of the fastest-transforming telecommunications operators globally.