Coverage in Ethiopia?

[esjones]

I'm having a hard time finding any current coverage maps or other information for Ethiopia. My son will be doing volunteer work there later this year, in the Bahir Dar region, and I would like for him to be able to at least send us an SMS message once in a while! Can anyone tell me if GSM coverage is available around Bahir Dar?

Thanks.

[limpwaster]

http://www.gsmworld.com/cgi-bin/ni_m...2&cc=et&net=et

coverage map for Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETMTN)

[DRNewcomb]

They don't seem to have a map on their website (http://www.ethionet.et/EthioMobile/home.html) but they describe the coverage as:

Where to use Your Mobile Telephone?
You can use your mobile telephone anywhere you go as long as there is GSM Coverage in that area. ETHIO-MOBILE covers Addis Ababa and its surroundings, Debrezeit, Nazareth, Mojo and Sodere in its first phase of implementation and will expand the service in successive stages to the major administrative and economic centers of the country.

It looks like they have just two towers. Probably a good place to have a Thuraya phone.

Ed.: I should have said "just a few towers".

[dg7feq]

Originally Posted by DRNewcomb

They don't seem to have a map on their website (http://www.ethionet.et/EthioMobile/home.html) but they describe the coverage as:
It looks like they have just two towers. Probably a good place to have a Thuraya phone.

yeah, Thuraya seems to be a good choice there. Unfortunately Ethiopia is not in the coverage for the ECO-SIM. The regular one is a bit more expensive - but still better than no phone at all.

Chris

[DRNewcomb]

Originally Posted by dg7feq

yeah, Thuraya seems to be a good choice there. Unfortunately Ethiopia is not in the coverage for the ECO-SIM. The regular one is a bit more expensive - but still better than no phone at all.

Chris

I was trying to figure out the charges for their prepaid service but the numbers don't make sense. Are those phone number ranges they list? (e.g. "400000 - 419999") Anyway USD 1.00 is about Birr 10.0

[faquick]

hi,

I am trying to find some informations on the same issue

I believe these numbers are the phone no. ranges, as you say, but there is very little informations, and what's on the website is not much clear.

Anybody discoveredy anything else about Ethiopian GSM carrier?

[maccoy]

It seems clear to me that those numbers are phone no. ranges...
Infact they talk about calls within the same area and calls to the other areas.

[faquick]

I found something new this year, looking for informations on their website:

it looks like they have now some 3G (WCDMA) coverage, and (very expensive) data plans:

ETC Home

but the GPRS tariffs are more affordable, here is the plan for those and GSM calls:

ETC Home

anyway it looks like you cannot access 3G and GPRS with foreign SIMs roaming there (at least no data is allowed for Italian carriers that have roaming agreements with them)

Originally Posted by maccoy

It seems clear to me that those numbers are phone no. ranges...
Infact they talk about calls within the same area and calls to the other areas.

It is like that for most of Ethiopia...
I've been there for the last year and their phone services are all really crappy