Does Ethiopia shut down the internet? How to stay connected as a traveller

Sometimes, but usually in specific regions rather than the whole country. Day to day in Addis Ababa, mobile data and hotel Wi-Fi are part of ordinary life, and most recent cuts have been in conflict areas in the north. Ethiopia has had dozens of documented shutdowns since 2016, mostly regional and tied to conflict, protests or political tension, so it's worth a little planning. Here's what has happened, what's happening now, and how to travel so a patchy connection never leaves you stuck.

The simplest step is to arrange the essentials before you land. When your airport pickup, hotels and driver are booked and paid in advance with Ethiopia Driver, a patchy connection is an inconvenience rather than a problem: you aren't relying on a ride app or a card terminal to get where you're going.

What is happening in Tigray right now?

Telecoms in Tigray went down on the night of Thursday 24 September 2026, and a regional internet disruption in northern Ethiopia was confirmed the next day. Ethio Telecom was reported cut completely in Tigray, with Safaricom working only in some places. Who ordered the cut is disputed. After federal forces took Mekelle on 3 to 4 October, one local outlet reported phone and internet back in Mekelle; we couldn't confirm that from other sources, and much of Tigray was still described as disrupted as of 10 October.

There were no reports of a cut in Addis Ababa. Travel to Tigray isn't advised right now anyway, so for visitors the practical picture is simple: plan your time around Addis, Bishoftu and Hawassa and the south, where we drive regularly.

How often has Ethiopia cut the internet before?

At least 26 shutdowns were documented in Ethiopia between 2016 and September 2023. The best-documented recent ones:

• Tigray, 2020 to 2022: the region was largely cut off from the outside world during the war. After the November 2022 peace deal, service came back gradually; 4G returned to Mekelle, Shire, Adigrat and Axum in November 2023, though service stayed slow and unreliable in much of the region.
• Social media block, February to July 2023: Facebook was blocked from 9 February 2023, with signs of TikTok blocking from the next day, amid church-related tensions and calls for protests. The blocks on TikTok, Facebook, Telegram and YouTube were lifted in July 2023.
• Amhara, 2023 to 2024: mobile internet was restricted across the region from early August 2023 as fighting intensified between federal forces and Fano militias, and restrictions were not fully lifted until July 2024. There was also an earlier regional cut in April 2023.
• Oromia: there have been localised shutdowns in the region during conflict.

Ethiopia's internet is rated "Not Free" by Freedom House in its 2025 report, and connections can be restricted during unrest. That's why a little offline preparation goes a long way.

Is the internet in Addis Ababa likely to go down?

Most recent cuts have targeted conflict regions rather than the capital, and the September and October 2026 reports did not describe Addis as cut off. The 2023 social media block showed that nationwide restrictions are possible, though, and cuts can come without notice. Treat a working connection in Addis as normal but not guaranteed, and keep the essentials offline.

How can travellers stay connected, or cope without it?

1. Carry two networks if you can. Ethiopia has two mobile operators, Ethio Telecom and Safaricom Ethiopia. In the latest Tigray cut, one network held up better than the other. A dual-SIM or eSIM phone lets you switch.
2. Download before you need it. Save offline maps, booking confirmations, flight tickets, insurance details, embassy contacts and emergency numbers to the phone itself, or print them. Don't rely only on email or cloud apps.
3. Keep cash on you, and pay the big things ahead. Card terminals, ATMs and mobile money all depend on the network. Paying for hotels, flights and your driver in advance means far less depends on a card working on the day.
4. Agree a plan with people at home. Tell family your itinerary and that silence for a day may just mean a network problem, not an emergency.
5. Register with your embassy. Most governments run a traveller registration or alert service so consular staff can reach you.
6. Know your fallbacks. Hotel reception desks, landlines and fixed broadband sometimes keep working when mobile data does not, but none is guaranteed.

A driver you've already booked is a fallback too. If data drops while you're out in Addis, you aren't stuck trying to order a ride or flag a taxi on the street: the plan for the day, the pickup times and the hotel address are already agreed with us, and our driver stays with you, drops you at the door and waits.

Before every trip outside Addis Ababa, we do our own security check using reports from our drivers across the country. We talk it through with you and decide together on the best plan: the route, a reroute if needed, what time to leave, and when not to travel at all. We look after you inside the city and outside it, with a trusted local driver as company for the trip.

What about VPNs?

During the 2023 social media block, people in Ethiopia used VPN apps to reach blocked platforms. There's no clear, current public statement from the Ethiopian authorities on whether visitors may use VPNs, and we are not in a position to give legal advice.

Two things are worth knowing. First, a VPN does nothing during a full shutdown: if there is no data connection, there is nothing to tunnel through. Second, Ethiopian authorities do act on online content. Our advice is to follow local law, avoid getting round official blocks, and be thoughtful about what you post while you're in the country. If you're unsure, ask your embassy.

Where can you check whether there is a shutdown?

• NetBlocks posts real-time reports of national and regional disruptions.
• Access Now's #KeepItOn campaign tracks and documents shutdowns.
• Your government's travel advice page includes communications warnings alongside safety advice.
• Reputable news outlets usually report major cuts within a day.