Capital city, Ethiopia

Internet in Addis Ababa: speed, SIM cards and coworking

Updated October 2026Sources

—Median download

Is the internet good in Addis Ababa?

Wifi in hotels, cafés and coworking spaces is usually usable but slow; mobile data is a useful backup.

Getting online in Addis Ababa

	Details
Home fibre	Fibre from Ethio telecom in some buildings; most homes use 4G or ADSL. About 1,500–3,500 ETB a month.
Cafés and coworking	Wifi in hotels, cafés and coworking spaces is usually usable but slow; mobile data is a useful backup.
Outages	Regional shutdowns and power cuts occur; keep offline copies of key documents.
Tourist SIM	Buy at Addis Bole airport or carrier shops with your passport; registration is required. Roughly 500–1,500 ETB for a month of data.
eSIM	Local carriers sell eSIMs to visitors.
Carriers	Ethio telecom, Safaricom Ethiopia
Monthly data plan	Br400–900 ($2.5–5.5)
Blocked services	Regional shutdowns have hit Tigray and Amhara, and social media was blocked in 2023; VPNs are common but unreliable.

Coworking spaces in Addis Ababa

Spaces we checked are open in 2026. Prices change; confirm on their sites.

Space	Area	Day pass
iceaddis	Bole	—

Internet speeds in Africa

National medians, Speedtest Global Index.

Country	Fixed	Mobile
Egypt	99 Mbps	52 Mbps
Morocco	57 Mbps	70 Mbps
Botswana	52 Mbps	—
South Africa	50 Mbps	70 Mbps
Tanzania	41 Mbps	33 Mbps
Kenya	23 Mbps	45 Mbps
Namibia	18 Mbps	—

Quick answers

Is the internet fast in Addis Ababa?

Wifi in hotels, cafés and coworking spaces is usually usable but slow; mobile data is a useful backup.

Which SIM card should I get in Addis Ababa?

Buy at Addis Bole airport or carrier shops with your passport; registration is required. Roughly 500–1,500 ETB for a month of data.

Can I use an eSIM in Ethiopia?

Yes. Local carriers sell eSIMs to visitors, and travel eSIMs work too.

Are there coworking spaces in Addis Ababa?

Yes: iceaddis.

More about Addis Ababa

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Sources

Speeds are medians from Ookla's Speedtest Global Index, cited for reference. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.