2. The internet and web browsing

The internet is a huge global network that connects millions of computers, phones, and servers to each other. Think of it like a giant telephone network — but instead of just voice calls, it carries text, photos, videos, apps, and money transactions.

When you connect your phone to mobile data or Wi-Fi, your phone joins this network. You can then:

• Read news and weather

• Watch videos

• Search for information on any topic

• Send and receive email

• Use apps like TeleBirr, WhatsApp, or Google Maps

• Shop or pay bills online

The internet does not live in one place. It is stored on millions of servers — powerful computers that run around the clock — spread across the world. In Ethiopia, Ethio Telecom's network gives you the path to reach those servers through your phone.

A web browser is the app you use to visit websites on the internet. It reads the content from a website's server and displays it on your screen as text, images, and videos.

Common browsers:

• Google Chrome — the most popular; already installed on most Android phones.

• Mozilla Firefox — a good alternative, known for privacy.

• Samsung Internet — pre-installed on Samsung phones.

• Opera Mini — uses less mobile data, popular in Ethiopia because it compresses pages.

To open a browser on Android:

1. Tap the Chrome (or Opera Mini) icon on your Home Screen or in your Apps list.

2. The browser opens with a search bar at the top — this is the address bar.

3. Tap the address bar and type either a web address (like www.ethiotelecom.et) or a search question (like «cheap hotels in Hawassa»).

4. Tap the Go button on your keyboard (or the magnifying-glass icon) to load the page.

Abebe typed «market price teff today Ethiopia» into Chrome and found a government agriculture price list in about 5 seconds — something that used to take him a bus ride to a library.

Every page on the internet has a unique address called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). It works like a street address: it tells your browser exactly where to find a specific page.

Example URL: https://www.ethiotelecom.et/telebirr

Let us break it down:

• https:// — the "s" stands for secure. It means the connection between your phone and the website is encrypted (scrambled so others cannot read it). Always prefer sites that start with https://.

• www.ethiotelecom.et — the domain name: the website's unique name. ".et" means the site is registered in Ethiopia.

• /telebirr — the path to a specific page within that website (in this case, the TeleBirr page).

Common domain endings:

• .com — commercial (businesses worldwide)

• .org — organisations (often NGOs or non-profits)

• .gov.et — Ethiopian government websites (e.g. www.mof.gov.et)

• .edu — educational institutions

If you see a URL like http://free-money-et.xyz, be very careful — unusual endings and no «s» in https are warning signs of fake or harmful sites.

Google is the world's most popular search engine. It reads billions of web pages and returns the most relevant results for your query. On your phone it is available at www.google.com or through the Google app.

Tips for better searches:

1. Use keywords, not full sentences.

Weak: «I want to know what the weather will be like in Addis Ababa tomorrow»

Strong: «weather Addis Ababa tomorrow»

2. Add a location to get local results.

Example: «plumber near Bole Addis Ababa» or «pharmacy open now Piazza»

3. Use quotation marks " " to search for an exact phrase.

Example: "TeleBirr registration steps"

4. Add a word like «how to», «meaning of», or «price of» for specific types of information.

Example: «how to reset TeleBirr PIN» or «price of teff Addis Ababa today»

5. Read the result snippet before clicking. Google shows a short description under each result link — often you can find the answer without even opening the page.

Almaz runs a small clothes shop in Merkato. She searches «wholesale fabric supplier Addis Ababa» and calls two of the suppliers she finds — saving her a whole day of walking.

Three browser features that save you time:

1. Tabs

You can open many web pages at the same time in different tabs — like having several books open on a table. Tap the square icon (showing a number) in Chrome to see all your open tabs. Tap the «+» to open a new tab. Close a tab by tapping the X next to it.

2. Bookmarks (Saved pages)

If you visit a website often, save it as a bookmark so you never have to type the address again. In Chrome: tap the three-dot menu (⋮) → tap the star icon or «Bookmark this page». To find your bookmarks later: tap the three-dot menu → Bookmarks.

3. History

Chrome remembers every page you visited. To see it: tap the three-dot menu → History. This is useful if you forgot the address of a useful page you visited yesterday. You can also clear your history here if you value privacy.

Sara uses bookmarks to save her college's exam timetable page and the Ethio Telecom self-service portal — two pages she visits every week.