Vodacom Tanzania PLC ,a leading mobile operator and mobile financial services provider has signed a contract with The National ICT Broadband Backbone worth US$ 4.59-million with a bid to enable the Telco use the government-owned fibre optic cable infrastructure to boost connectivity in rural Tanzania.
The move follows an initial investment of US$6,223,500 in October 2021 and it will be used to extend high-speed internet facilities upcountry to reach more underserved areas.
Dr Jim Yonaz, Permanent Secretary of Communication at the Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology said “The government’s ICT vision is to get 80% of the population to have access to broadband digital connectivity by 2025. The expansion of the national fibre backbone gets us closer to this goal. We have committed ourselves to this because we want to ensure that all Tanzanians get the opportunity to enjoy the benefits that come with digital connectivity. We recognise the vital role those mobile operators play in pushing this accessibility closer to the people. We appreciate Vodacom Tanzania and its collaboration in making use of this resource that the country has invested in and making it available to the public.”
This latest deal, signed by Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL) Director General, Peter Ulanga and Vodacom Managing Director Sitholizwe Mdlalose, is set to improve Vodacom’s voice and data traffic across lake, central, and southern regions of Tanzania in a bid to transform the country into a knowledge-based society through the application of ICT.TTCL manages the NICTBB on behalf of the government.
With expanded internet access to remote areas of the country, more people will be able to access digital facilities, such as health services, education delivery, and agricultural information as well as furthering the growth of financial inclusion nationally,” reads an excerpt from the statement.
Mdlalose said, “Vodacom Tanzania aims to transforms the country into a knowledge-based society through the application of ICT while bridging the digital divide as well as strengthening competitive abilities of domestic data and voice operators. This announcement comes to reiterate our commitment as a company to the Tanzania digitisation agenda, and respond to the growing demand for digital services in the country.”
Vodacom Tanzania PLC has been a key stakeholder in the usage of NICTBB infrastructure since 2012, with capacity leasing contract worth US$50-million signed since 2012. Over the five years TTCL, who manage the NICTBB, has worked with the telecommunication company in the country for the use of fibre optic infrastructure.
