Ethio Telecom has launched teleSign, a national digital signature and identity verification platform that allows Ethiopian citizens and diaspora members to authenticate legal documents and access government services entirely through mobile devices and a web portal.
The platform went live on March 30 in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Federal Documents Authentication and Registration Service (DARS). Users can grant or revoke power of attorney, authenticate legal documents, and obtain or renew professional licenses without visiting embassies, consulates, or government offices. Tasks that previously required weeks of in-person processing can now be completed in minutes, according to Ethio Telecom.
teleSign uses AI-powered video identity verification with liveness detection to authenticate users remotely. The system is fully integrated with Fayda, Ethiopia’s national digital ID, which underpins identity verification across the platform. Payments are handled through telebirr, the country’s mobile payment service, and all data is stored on local cloud infrastructure.
The launch is framed as part of Digital Ethiopia 2030, a five-year national digital transformation strategy adopted in December 2025 calling for universal digital identity coverage and digitized public services. State Minister of Foreign Affairs Berhanu Tsegaye described teleSign as “a game-changer” for accessibility and reliability of authentication services.
More than 21 million Ethiopians have enrolled in Fayda to date, with the government targeting 90 million adults by 2027. The teleSign platform is designed to serve over 110 million people, including 87 million active Ethio Telecom subscribers. Ethiopia has also mandated the Fayda digital ID for all banking transactions.
Sources: Ethio Negari, allAfrica
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By the Mobile ID World Editorial Team
