Last May, the Tanzanian government signed an agreement with the consortium of telecom operators to extend the mobile telephone network in rural areas of the country. The project involves the modernization of 304 existing telecom towers and the deployment of 758 new towers.
Tanzanian telecommunications operators Tigo, Vodacom, Airtel, TTCL and Halotel have committed to investing 32.5 billion shillings (12.97 million USD) in the development of the national telecoms infrastructure. To this end, an agreement was signed with the government on Monday September 25.
The announcement comes about four months after the consortium of telecommunications companies and the government signed a partnership agreement for the expansion of the mobile phone network in rural areas of mainland Tanzania. Expected to cost approximately Sh265.3 billion, the project will be implemented under the Universal Communication Services Access Fund (UCSAF). It will be financed 40% by the government compared to 60% for telecom operators.
The initiative is part of the government’s efforts to accelerate digital transformation and make it a driver of Tanzania’s socio-economic development. The executive recently reduced rights of way fees for telecoms operators by 80% . He also estimates that he has invested Sh400 billion to improve and strengthen communications infrastructure in the country over the past two years.
Nape Nnauye, Minister of Information, Communication and Information Technology, says strengthening the ICT and communication sectors is key to boosting economic development, fostering business growth and encouraging adoption digital technology for the progress of society.
According to the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) report for the second quarter of 2023, Tanzania has 64 million mobile subscribers for a penetration rate of 101%. The country also has 83,407 landline subscriptions and 34.04 million Internet users. Furthermore, the Tanzanian government aims to connect 85% of the population to high-speed Internet by 2025.