Its the same deal for all kinds of phones in Ethiopia since there is only one telecommunication company. So lets only talk about the iPhone for now. So the answer is simple!
You’re iPhone will work in Ethiopia but you won’t find the carriers you are looking for. There is no such thing as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, VodaPhone, Orange, etc.. in Ethiopia. There is one telecommunication company (Ethio Telecom or ETC) and it is the only telecommunication provider in Ethiopia. So how will the iPhone work?
Well, it mostly involves a hardware unlock. Don’t worry I don’t mean like, opening the iPhone up and crossing some wires. What essentially happens is, they insert a small slim piece of metal with your sim card. This small piece of metal is commonly known as a Turbo for iPhone. I don’t know where they got that word, but the actual name of the device is GEVEY SIM. There are many kinds of GEVEY SIMs. Some can unlock a certain base bands while others can’t. There is also a difference between the way you perform the unlock. Some require you to dial 112 and wait for like 40 seconds and stuff while the others will eventually open after 30 – 50 seconds without the need to dial 112. I have the one that needs 112 to be dialed.
As far as I know and at the time of writing this post (May 15, 2012), dialing 112 is legal in Ethiopia. Meaning, the number doesn’t actually work and besides, you will disconnect it even before it connects, so don’t worry!
Believe me the idea of dialing 112 every time I switched my phone on and off seemed uncomfortable for me. But to tell you the truth, I don’t remember the last time I did it. So don’t worry, it’s not as bad as you think.
So, whenever you’re thinking about coming to Ethiopia, whether it’s a Samsung Galaxy Phone, HTC, LG, Motorola, or any other iOS or android based tablet or phone, all you have to know is, can it be unlocked there. Can it be unlocked in your country or another country. If so, it’s just a matter of a week or a month, before Ethiopian mobile centers start giving the unlock service. And Oh, it’s always better to do the unlock in the capital city, Addis Ababa, because there are so many mobile centers available and most of them have experienced technician.
