Adama (Nazareth) town residents, 99km east of the capital, will receive faster Internet connection. Ethio telecom, the state-owned enterprise, launched a 5G networking service last week. Executives say they have achieved close to 97pc of coverage across the country, expanding earlier generation networks (3G and 4G), improving the network and upgrading earlier technologies. Adama is growing to be one of the industrial hubs primarily for textile and leather manufacturing. Over 80pc of digitizing the town will be accomplished by the end of the year. Making Adama a smart city is one of the projects incepted by the town's administration. The Engineering Corporation of Oromia has developed the design, which will be erected on 175hct of land, and incorporates healthcare facilities, smart mobility, and e-service providing government offices. The government is committed to developing 47pc of the plot, with private investors taking the rest. The 5G launch is part of the strategy toward making Adama a smart city. It will also facilitate e-government services provided by the town's administration. Ethio telecom has been testing the system after launching the 5G service in Addis Abeba over the past months. The network in Adama was launched in selected areas, such as the Adama Science & Technology University and hotels. Frehiwot Tameru, CEO of Ethio telecom, accompanied the town's Mayor, Hailu Jelil, and the University's President, Lemi Guta. The network reached up to 10Gb, enabling up to one million connections within one square kilometre. It is also hoped to help industries, facilitating real-time access to manufacturing plants, remote healthcare services and agriculture. Ethio telecom is working on expanding the services to 150 regional towns over the coming months.