Addis Ababa eSIM
In Addis Ababa you connect to Ethio Telecom or Safaricom, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The median across the country is 21 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- Ethio Telecom and Safaricom
- Real speed in Ethiopia
- 21 Mbps median, 5 Mbps for the slowest tenth96 travellers across Ethiopia, rolling 90 days
- 5G
- 4G only
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover Addis Ababa
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $14.89 | $14.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $10.96 | $32.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $9.98 | $49.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $8.39 | $83.89 |
How Ethiopia compares across Africa
- Speed rank
- 20 of 20 destinations we sell in Africa
- Regional median
- 29.5 Mbps
- Consistency
- The slowest tenth still reaches 24 percent of the median
- Upstream networks
- 2, Ethio Telecom, Safaricom
- 5G
- 4G only
- Next fastest nearby
- Madagascar, 22 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 1: Addis Ababa
- tenth percentile
- 5 Mbps
- Behind these figures
- 96 travellers, rolling 90 days
Landing at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD)
- Airport
- ADD / HAAB
- Distance
- 6 km from the centre of Addis Ababa
- Wifi on arrival
- Free wifi in the terminalEthiopian Airlines says complimentary wifi is available throughout the terminal. Its arrivals guide does not say how the network authenticates.
- SIM on arrival
- SIM counters or vending in the terminalAn Ethio Telecom counter selling local SIM cards for arriving travellers is in the baggage claim area.
Getting into Addis Ababa
- Blue Line SkyBus from Terminal 2 (ADD)
- Official taxi or local ride hailing app to the city centre (ADD)
Underground and on the metro
Addis Ababa Light Rail runs 2 lines. It opened in 2015. The operator does not publish whether the tunnels carry a mobile signal, so we do not claim either way.
Worth knowing about Addis Ababa
- Bole International Airport is about 6 km southeast of the centre, and Ethiopian Airlines puts the drive at 15 to 30 minutes depending on traffic.
- Arriving passengers can buy an Ethio Telecom SIM at a counter in the baggage claim area, before leaving the terminal building.
- Uber does not operate in Ethiopia, so arrivals rely on the Blue Line SkyBus, official taxis, local ride hailing apps or a pre arranged hotel shuttle.
- The Addis Ababa Light Rail opened in 2015 with two lines, 31.6 km of route and 39 stations, and it does not serve the airport.