Ethio telecom, the state telecom monopoly, has launched 4G LTE, an advanced fourth-generation network in the capital that delivers higher data connection speeds. The company invested 173 million Br to upgrade the network by hiring Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications and ICT solution provider for the project. Ethio telecom and Huawei signed an agreement last month to upgrade the network, which was completed within 10 days. The 4G LTE network is three times faster than the existing 4G and 14 times faster than 3G networks. "We'll launch the service in the regional states soon," said Frehiwot Tamiru, Ethio telecom's CEO. "After we made a tariff adjustment, the demand for internet increased by 169pc." The company introduced a 40pc tariff cut on local mobile calls and a 43pc price reduction on texts and mobile data services. The tariff cut also included a 54pc slashing of broadband internet service prices.