The telecommunications sector in Tanzania is booming and nearing 100 percent penetration. According to the Tanzania Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), the overall penetration rate is currently 98%, which is close to saturation.
The report also notes that Dar es Salaam leads the other regions with 18% of all active subscriptions, followed by Mwanza and Arusha with 6.4% and 6.0% respectively.
Commenting on the report, TCRA Director General Dr. Jabiri Bakari said the development is a testament to the positive strides the telecom industry has made in expanding access to telecom services across the country.
The regulator is optimistic that this trend will continue as more people use cell phones for communications and other services.
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Despite this growth, telecom penetration has nearly reached its maximum potential, with numbers hovering around 98% in 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. Annual statistics show a gradual increase in telecom penetration with rates of 88% in 2019, 89% in 2020, and 91% in 2021.
Tanzania’s growth in the telecommunications sector is not limited to the country as the trend towards telecommunications subscriptions in East Africa and Africa has been characterized by steady growth over the past five years.
More and more people are gaining access to cell phones and other communication devices, increasing the number of subscriptions.
In East Africa, Tanzania is one of the countries with the most mobile phone subscribers, along with Kenya and Uganda.
These countries have made significant investments in their communications infrastructure in recent years, resulting in better connectivity and access to cell phones and other communications devices for their citizens.
It is worth noting that Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa lead the way in telecom contracts in Africa, accounting for more than half of all mobile contracts on the continent.
