Ethio Telecom, the state-owned operator, reported 215.82 billion birr, or about US$1.3 billion, as it moved further away from legacy voice income.

Data now leads the business

The shift in Ethio Telecom revenue was visible across the income mix. Data and internet services accounted for 31.1% of total revenue, ahead of mobile voice at 23.5%. That marks a clear change in how the operator earns money, with mobile data, broadband and digital platforms taking the lead.

The company also said it reached 99.7% of its annual revenue target. Revenue rose 33.2% year on year, while operating profit increased 47.5% to 92.9 billion birr. EBITDA rose 51.9%, reflecting stronger turnover and tighter cost control.

Ethio Telecom said the year covered the first stage of its three-year “Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028 Strategy”. That matters because the results suggest the strategy is already changing the business mix. Digital demand is no longer a side story. It is now the main commercial driver.

Scale is building across customers and payments

The customer base reached 90.12 million, up 8.3% from the previous year. Active mobile subscribers totalled 72.09 million, while mobile data users rose 10.7% to 51.53 million. Fixed broadband subscriptions reached one million, bringing total data and internet users to 52.5 million.

Telebirr added another layer of momentum. Registered users climbed to 60.6 million, up 16.4%. The platform processed 2.61 billion transactions worth 4.19 trillion birr during the year. Ethio Telecom also said digital lending through Telebirr reached 19.51 billion birr for 5.65 million customers. Digital savings totalled 18.75 billion birr across 1.3 million customers.

These numbers point to a broader commercial shift. The operator is not only selling connectivity. It is also monetising payments, lending and savings. That widens its revenue base and strengthens customer engagement.

Total assets rose 27% to 420 billion birr. Ethio Telecom linked that increase to continued investment in network infrastructure, technology assets and digital capabilities. The company also said its Do2Save programme generated 14.61 billion birr in efficiency gains, with most of that coming from cost optimisation.

For investors, the message is clear. Ethio Telecom revenue is increasingly tied to data, digital finance and enterprise services, not voice minutes. That improves the quality of growth and supports profitability. The next test is whether the company can keep expanding usage, deepen Telebirr activity and convert Ethiopia’s digital adoption into steadier cash flow over the next fiscal year.

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