| Internet access via phones up | Send to a friend |
| Monday, 22 November 2010 22:40 |
 By Al-amani MutarubukwaThe Citizen Reporter Dar es Salaam. More Tanzanians are accessing the Internet via mobile phones than through computers, a recent report revealed. According to the 2010 Digital Life report released over the weekend by the TSN Research International, about 36 per cent of internet users access e-mails via mobile phones against 31 per cent doing the same via computers. Consumers surfing for multimedia and entertainment via mobile phones also stood at 21 per cent compared to 15 per cent accessed the same via computers. The report indicates that internet access through mobile phones in Tanzania is above global average. About 32 per cent used the mobile phone to access the internet compared to the global average of 26 per cent. The report noted, however, that cyber cafés remain the primary access of internet in Tanzania, although mobile phones have a higher potential to grow in future. This could be partly attributed to the recent improvement made by mobile phone manufacturers on handsets as well as the operators’ advancement in technology attained recently in the country. “Both mobile phone service operators and marketers would need to include internet services as the ingredient in their digital engagement strategy,” said Ms Melissa Baker, the chief executive officer of TSN research international, when launching the report for the first time in Dar es Salaam recently. She advised marketers to continue advertising on traditional media while viewing digital as an emerging opportunity that is yet to be tapped. Companies can increase their online presence by giving consumers link to brands for them to get more information on companies products or services. The research was conducted last month in Dar es Salaam where 500 people were interviewed. The findings of the report would maximize opportunities with digital consumers, and thus helping marketers formulating different strategies accordingly. It is also replicated to other 45 countries worldwide. It found out that despite low internet access, ‘digital engagement’ was higher the Africa’s average, which means once access improves there would be an ‘explosion’ of digital activities in Tanzania. Communication dominates internet use in Tanzania. Other internet uses like online-shopping are still underdeveloped. This means that e-mail, multi-media, social and news are the ways to engage consumers via mobile phones in Tanzania, noted the report. With the recent landing of two international submarine fibre optic cables, Eassy and Seacom, that link Tanzania to the global high-speed telecommunications network, online branding and shopping, which is currently under-developed, could flourish in the near future, the report suggested. Tanzania ranks among leading African countries with tremendous progress in liberalising the information communication technology (ICT) sector. Such a progress, in turn made the cost of internet in Tanzania to be low and the quality higher than that of other East African countries, notably Kenya and Uganda. Despite the progress in connectivity, overall access to ICT services remains a challenge as internet connection was limited to urban areas, noted the report. There are 520,000 internet users equivalent to 1.3 per cent of the population, as of June 2009, according to Internet World Usage Statistics. As for mobile phones, the 2009 International Telecommunications Union report put Tanzania the fourth highest number of subscribers, after Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya. Within eight years, the number of subscribers in Tanzania has increased from less than 300,000 to over 14 million, which translates to 25 per cent penetration. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
| Last Updated on Monday, 22 November 2010 23:26 |
