To support key digital infrastructure and technology efforts under the company's Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond plan, Ethio Telecom is looking at funding collaboration with Italy's Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP).
The telco stated that it had discussions with the development finance institution, where CEO Frehiwot Tamru and other members of the firm's executive leadership met with Carlo Rossotto, director of development cooperation and international institutional relations at CDP, and his team at the institution's headquarters in Rome.
The discussions focused on potential finance structures to assist large-scale investments targeted at extending Ethiopia's telecom and digital infrastructure ecosystem.
Tamru outlined the operator’s multi-year Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond strategy, which seeks to accelerate the East African country’s digital transformation through expanded telecom networks, strengthen data and cloud infrastructure, and the continued growth of digital platforms and services.
Furthermore, among the areas discussed were telecom network expansion and modernisation, advanced data centre development, renewable energy solutions for telecom infrastructure, and the scaling of digital financial services, including telebirr.
The two sides also discussed opportunities to support digital agriculture initiatives, including financing models that could leverage mobile financial services to improve farmers’ access to credit and expand financial inclusion within Ethiopia’s agricultural sector.
“CDP representatives provided an overview of the institution’s financing instruments and partnership models used to support infrastructure and digital transformation projects in emerging markets. Both sides expressed interest in continuing discussions around potential collaboration to support digital infrastructure investment and technology-driven economic development initiatives in Ethiopia,” noted the telco.
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