Telecommunications in Tanzania is regulated by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) under the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Act (2003). In 2015, the Government of Tanzania enacted the Cybercrimes Act and the Electronic Transactions Act. The objective of these two Acts is to improve the confidence of financial institutions in ICT since the law is addressing e-services and cyber defense. (TCRA, 2016)

There are 8 telecommunication operators in Tanzania: the government-owned Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL), the privately-owned companies Airtel Tanzania, Smart Telecom, Vietel Tanzania Limited (Halotel), MIC Tanzania Limited (Tigo), Vodacom Tanzania, SMILE, and Zanzibar Telecom Limited (Zantel).

There is a regulation regarding procedures/restrictions on registering sim cards/ mobile numbers in Tanzania and they are very strictly implemented by the Authority. For example, the registration should be recorded in an electronic system and the client who wants to register sim cards or mobile number must have identification cards such as a national ID, Zanzibar Residence ID, Voter’s ID, Passport or Driving License. Every 3 months, the authority is conducting an inspection at the telecommunication companies.

Telecommunications Regulations

The Tanzanian telecommunications sector is governed by the Telecommunications Policy (1997), the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Policy (2003), the Information Broadcasting Policy (2003) and the Postal Policy (2003). These policies also regulate the importation and licensing of humanitarian communications equipment, namely VSAT, HF, VHF and Thuraya.

Existing Humanitarian Telecoms Systems

There are existing humanitarian telecoms systems managed by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), World Food Program (WFP) and The World Bank Group (WBG).

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

The Tanzania Internet Service Provider Association (TISPA) is a non-profit association of internet service providers operating in Tanzania. TIPSA strives to bring together the internet community to collectively make the internet accessible to as many Tanzanians as possible. They are the founders of the Dar es Salaam Internet eXchange point (commonly known as TIX) based in Dar es Salaam. (TIX, 2016).

Members of TISPA are: Africaonline, Afsat Communication Ltd., Alink Ltd., Benson Informatics Ltd. (BOL), Cats-Net, Costech, Satcom Network, SimbaNet, Star Tel Ltd., TTCL, University Computing Centre, Vizada Network, Vodacom Ltd., WiA Co. Ltd., Zee Communications Ltd., Zantel, MIC Ltd., Selcom Broadband Ltd., Six Telecoms Company Limited, Arusha Node Marie (ANM), Arusha Art Ltd (CyberNet), Alldean Satellite Networks Ltd., Frank Habicht and Tembo World Ltd.

Another Internet service providers operating in Tanzania which are not in the association are Airtel Tanzania, Smart Telecom, Vietel Tanzania Limited (Halotel) and Vodacom Tanzania. (TCRA, 2017)

There are internet cafes in all major towns and wi-fi hotspots are widespread. Prices at internet cafes average Tsh 1000 to Tsh 2000 per hour. Speed varies greatly; truly fast connections are rare. The Internet access is very limited in rural areas.

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)

There are several mobile network operators in Tanzania and they are available in the whole country. The coverage area for the mobile networks is large as can be seen from the table below.

For information on MNOs please visit the GSM Association website.

Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.

Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.