Ethiopia needs thousands of tele towers -

Ethiopia needs 1.5 billion USD for telecom tower infrastructure over the next five years. This is according to an independent tower company which conducted a study. The telecom company is interested in bidding when privatization begins next spring.

Helios Tower, a Pan African company is based in the UK. Ethiopia needs an additional 2,000 telecom towers in the next five years and this would bring the total number to 10,000. It would still be the lowest in the world according to Helios. South Africa has 30,000 for 60 million people. In an event held at Hyatt Regency Hotel on December 4, 2019, entitled: “open access infrastructure the back bone of telecommunication growth,” the role of tower companies developing a country’s telecommunication service and infrastructure was examined.

“Mobile telecommunication infrastructure and market liberalization creates economic growth and improves people’s lives,” said Kash Pandya, CEO of the company.
The CEO said they were ready for the bidding process to operate in the country adding that they have the feasibility and the capital needed for the task.
As the principal business model lies in building, acquiring and operating telecommunications towers that are capable of accommodating and powering the needs of multiple tenants, Helios expressed its interest to buy towers.

The company is known for buying towers that were held by single operators and providing services utilizing the tower infrastructure to the seller and other operations.
For the construction of the tower, Helios is experienced working with land lords to secure plots of land between 50m2 and 300m2 as well as rooftops.
Helios Towers owns and operates telecommunications towers and passive infrastructure in five high-growth African markets namely in Tanzania, DRC and Congo, we own a strong urban portfolio in Ghana and we also established a presence in South Africa in 2019.

As part of their feasibility studies, the company involved quality steel manufacturing companies as a motivating factor and the high number of young graduates in the country.
As a pan African tower company, Helios will work to supply its own power sources from Solar panel, generators and hybrid power to avoid power interruption.