Ethio Telecom launched a new line of low-cost cloud-based smartphones on Thursday to not only boost uptake of its 4G network, but also address the problem of smartphone affordability that’s keeping millions of people from accessing digital services.
The new “Znexus” devices, unveiled on Thursday, deliver smartphone-like functionality to existing and new feature-phone users by shift processing power to the cloud over Ethio Telecom’s 4G network, which reduces costs, extends battery life and eliminates storage limitations.
The znexus lineup includes the Znexus 127 Lite, Znexus 131 Lite, and Znexus 2028 Lite models, which come pre-loaded with cloud-based apps such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Games, short drama and news.
Ethio Telecom said the Znexus phones also simplify the user experience with intuitive interfaces, and provide accessible, low-friction onboarding for first-time users.
The Znexus line is intended to address the dilemma of digital exclusion, which remains an issue not only in Ethiopia but much of Sub-Saharan Africa. Traditionally, the problem was lack of 4G coverage, but even in areas where coverage is available, high smartphone costs and limited digital literacy and device familiarity remain barriers to uptake.
Recent data from the Africa Group of Six (G6) – a coalition of African mobile network operators – found that over 60% of mobile users in Sub-Saharan Africa remain offline not because coverage is unavailable, but because devices are unaffordable, or users are unfamiliar with how to engage with digital services.
In Ethiopia specifically, Ethio Telecom said it has deployed its 4G network in 936 towns and now covers 71% of the population, while its 5G network has been deployed in 26 towns. Yet many people still use basic 2G/3G feature phones, preventing them from accessing services like digital payments, e-learning, health apps, agriculture platforms, and e-governance tools.
“By offering smartphone-like services at a fraction of the cost, Znexus helps Ethiopia and Africa leapfrog traditional barriers to digital inclusion,” Ethio Telecom said in a statement.
Vodacom South Africa made a similar move in September 2024 when it unveiled the Mobicel S4 4G Cloud Phone to give subscribers an affordable onramp to smartphones and 4G services.
Meanwhile, Ethio Telecom also launched a “Cloud Workspace” managed services solution that enables businesses, government organizations and NGOs to access virtual desktops and applications via Znexus PADs, laptops and thin clients.
The Cloud Workspace solution offers secure storage and cloud-based processing on a pay-as-you-go model that be scaled up easily as organizations grow.
Ethio Telecom launched the Znexus service in line with its “Next Horizon: Digital and Beyond 2028 Strategy” strategy, which kicked off in August this year to push the telco beyond connectivity into platforms, ecosystems, and solutions. Under that strategy, Ethio Telecom plans to cover 99% of the population with 4.5G by the end of 2028.
