HiLCoE

School of Computer Science and

Technology

Web Design and Development (CS322)

The Internet Revolution in Ethiopia

Group Members ID number

1. Abraham Damtew
2. Eliyon Zewge-Michael DD4391
3. Leul Dawit
4. Michyas Abeje

Submitted to: Zelalem Abera

sDate: Feb 13, 2023

 The Internet Revolution in Ethiopia

How the internet started in Ethiopia?

In 2001, after the two-year conflict with Eritrea, Ethiopia wanted to overcome as victorious in
other sectors. This marked a turning point in the Ethiopian government’s to embrace large-
scale initiatives as a component of its state and nation building plans.

After conflict, these numerous large-scale initiatives were implemented to strengthen the
state. One of these initiatives were the introduction of Internet. The state was reorganized to
function as a more active partner in social and economic renewal, and institutional ties
between the center and the peripheries were strengthened. The Internet eventually assumed a
crucial role in this capacity-building and transformation strategy.

This marked the beginning of some of the most ambitious e-government projects in African
history, aiming to implement the ideals of state reform. Projects called WoredaNet and
SchoolNet were introduced. They were an unprecedented effort by an Ethiopian government
to utilize ICTs for state and nation building.

SchoolNet offers streaming music and video. through a VSAT (Very Small Aperture
Terminal) satellite that only delivers downlink service. Whereas WoredaNet is a terrestrial
and satellite-based communications network that offers Internet connectivity and related
services to Ethiopian federal, regional, and woreda-level government organizations. These
services include video conferencing and texting. A woreda, which equates to a district in
Ethiopia and is administered by the local government, has an average population of 100,000.
For government communications and the provision of e-government services to citizens,
WoredaNet aims to develop a multi-service Internet Protocol (IP)-based system employing
broadband and very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) infrastructure. In addition to informing
the public about e-government services, WoredaNet aims to maximize the administrative
effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of the federal and regional governments.

WoredaNet provided a compelling illustration of how the necessity to communicate to the

population. It marked the central government's commitment to enhancing service delivery
and the responsiveness of its bureaucracy that may encourage investments in technology.
With time, Woredanet’s infrastructure also started to act as a motivator for the creation of
further applications that might rely on it. For instance, TeleCourt was developed on the
Woredanet platform to enable trials between rural areas and regional and federal courts. The
state has been able to save expenditures and the amount of time individuals had to wait for a
decision thanks to this innovative method of delivering justice remotely. Users of the system
appear to have had a generally favorable reaction.

What kind of cables were used and their history?

At first both WoredaNet and SchoolNet used satellite connections. It was expensive and
Inefficient. In order to connect the entire nation, starting with government institutions, the
government was forced to step in and secure the funding needed to invest in crucial
infrastructure, in this case the fiber-optic cable.
The first stage was very significant. It was called the Millennium Plan. It was expected to be
finished by September 11, 2007, the day when the Ethiopian calendar's new millennium
begins. And with the objective of laying down more than 2000 kilometers of fiber optic
cable connecting Ethiopia's three dozen biggest cities.
The second and third phases, focused on the development of Infrastructure. Which built the
system's ability to handle 20 million mobile users (up from the initial 1.2 million) and more
than a million Internet broad-band users.

What kind of internet offers does our ISP provides for us now? For
organizations and individuals?
Nowadays ISPs developed significantly both on products and services. You can connect to
the internet with only your phone. Decades ago you can only connect to the internet with
products similar to flash drive that had SIM card planted into it. But now you can buy
subscription data plan packages that can connect you to the internet faster.
Fixed Broadband Internet service is one of ISPs services. It offers internet packages with
wired access. It can be provided through copper or fiber depending on the speed requested
and other factors. This cable is then connected to a product called router which can allow
multiple users to connect to use internet connection wired or wirelessly.’

What is the current internet architecture in Ethiopia?

The network architecture of Ethiopia is multi-layered, with a number of different elements

contributing to the overall infrastructure. The infrastructure consists of legacy copper-based
telephone and internet networks, in addition to high-speed cable and fiber optic networks.
This allows for fast speeds and efficient online access throughout the country. Moreover,
with mobile services provided by leading telecom providers like MTN Group and Ethio
Telecom, citizens have access to the internet via their mobile phones as well. 

In 2018, Ethiopia launched its first national optical backbone network. The 3,300 km network
provides 1Gbps coverage across most major city centers in Ethiopia and provides unlimited
capacity for international traffic due to the large number of transatlantic fibers connecting it
to Europe and other countries. This ensures a higher standard of broadband connectivity
across Ethiopia which benefits businesses located within the country's borders. It also enables
faster transfer of data between cities domestically as well as improved connectivity with other
parts of Africa thanks to several key telecommunication projects Africa Connect (launched in
2016) and South East European Optical Network (SEVIEN) - under whose participation
South East Africa has been connected by fiber optics. With such investments in domestic
telecommunications infrastructure, Ethiopia can cater to more customers with better
connectivity as well as reduce dependence on foreign providers when it comes to broadband
services. 

Moreover, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services are becoming increasingly popular
throughout Ethiopia, both amongst business institutions as well as individuals seeking cost
savings on international calls through VoIP solutions like Skype or WhatsApp call functions.
Additionally, wireless connections such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), WiMax radio base
stations distributed throughout the country give users high speed access for web surfing and
application browsing via their mobile devices. All these technological advancements mean
that Ethiopians now have reliable way of connecting online wherever they are located in the
nation be it via wired or wireless cable systems or even via voice over IP calls - drastically
improving overall communication within the country and beyond its borders into surrounding
countries too allowing Ethiopians an easy way of staying connected wherever they may be
traveling from or going!