TCRA's grand plan to bridge digital divide

Business Reporter

Mwananchi Communications Ltd

What you need to know:

From rollout of 5G internet to assigning more spectrum to operators, Tanzania is taking measures aimed at reducing the digital divide in addition to increasing universal access to broadband services. Dr Jabiri Bakari, Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) director general, provides details in this interview with The Citizen’s Gadiosa Lamtey.

The fifth arises from regulatory interventions to promote universal access. TCRA has assigned frequencies in four prime spectrum bands with roll-out conditions designed to speed up the deployment of broadband networks. In June 2018 and October 2022 respectively, TCRA successfully assigned spectrum to operators through auctions, a strategy that will facilitate the deployment of communications resources key in implementation national programmes and strategies for the digital economy in Tanzania. The two service providers assigned two blocks on the 700 MHz band in 2018 were given the obligation to ensure their broadband services covered 60 percent of Tanzanians by the end of 2021 and 90 percent by the end of 2024. Service providers granted licences in the October 2022 auction were given roll-out targets; including having a geographical presence in at least six (6) different administrative regions of Tanzania by 2025.

As explained previously, the award of spectrum through auctions will accelerate the penetration of high-speed internet access throughout the country. TCRA has aligned its strategy with national priorities, including the National Development Vision 2025, the third Five-Year Development Plan and the National ICT Policy. Additionally, TCRA promotes innovation in ICT and other communication sub-sectors. TCRA is currently implementing what is known as a ‘technological sandbox’ programme, in which we provide communication resources free of charge to ICT/digital innovators (start-ups) of all age groups to test their ICT innovations. These resources include numbers, short codes, Tanzania (dot tz) domains and radio frequencies. These can be used for three months from the time of assignment and assignees can request an extension. This programme is implemented in collaboration with the National Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH).

Let me state from the beginning that reports of independent international ICT and research organisations have repeatedly shown that Tanzania leads East Africa in the quality and prices of internet services. The reports are accessible on websites such as www.cable.co.uk; www.visual.capitalist and www.allafrica.com. TCRA’s June and September 2022 communications statistics show that data continues to be the cheapest compared to voice and short messages (SMS). A minute of voice is more expensive than a unit of SMS and data. Data is measured in bytes, of which 1,000 make a megabyte (MB), the preferred unit. Illustrating how data prices are low in Tanzania, statistics show that the cost of one MB accessed without a bundle fell from Sh103.35 in 2015 to Sh8 in September 2022. Bundled data costs fell from Sh2.7 to Sh1.8 per unit in the period. TCRA will continue to educate consumers on how to get the best out of subscribed data packages.

TCRA's grand plan to bridge digital divide

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