A dozen contenders are lined up to bid for a 40% stake in Ethiopia’s state-owned monopoly, Ethio Telecom, or for two new mobile licences. The opening up of the mobile market, along with the award of new DTH (direct to home) TV operating licences, is urgently needed in this country. It is a heavily mobile-first market, yet one with low mobile broadband penetration. The arrival of Orange, or any one of the rumored parties bidding for a stake in Ethio Telecom, could bring transformative change to the entire country. The de-privatization of Ethio and subsequent expansion of network infrastructure will encourage innovation that has long been stifled in the country by monopolistic practices. This will be more important in the…