DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania has recorded a sharp acceleration in digital development between 2021 and 2025, driven by expanded infrastructure, rising internet adoption and rapid growth in mobile financial services, officials said.
The progress places the country firmly within East Africa’s intensifying digital transformation, as governments across the region push to expand connectivity, deepen financial inclusion and build resilient, technology-driven economies.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology, Mohammed Khamis Abdullah, described the shift as “transformative”, pointing to significant improvements in connectivity, access and service delivery nationwide.
He was speaking during the launch of 758 communication towers, the expansion of the National Fibre Optic Backbone to 85 districts and the handover of backbone infrastructure to the government.
Mobile network coverage has expanded rapidly across all major technologies. Second-generation (2G) services now reach 98.6 per cent of the population, while third-generation (3G) and fourth-generation (4G) coverage have risen to 93.92 per cent and 94.2 per cent respectively.
Fifth-generation (5G) technology, which was not available in 2021, now covers 30.15 per cent of the country, signalling a rapid rollout of next-generation connectivity.
Geographical coverage has also improved, with 4G extending to 77.3 per cent of the country, while 5G has reached 30.3 per cent, highlighting continued investment beyond major urban centres.
Internet adoption has surged in parallel. The number of users has doubled to 58.8 million, pushing penetration to 85.3 per cent — one of the fastest growth rates in the region and a clear indication of rising digital uptake.
Mobile financial services have also expanded significantly, with accounts increasing by 134 per cent to 76.4 million, reinforcing their role in advancing financial inclusion and supporting participation in the digital economy.
Infrastructure development has been central to the expansion. Tanzania has increased its submarine cable connections from two to three, strengthening international bandwidth and enhancing global connectivity.
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At the same time, districts connected to the national fibre backbone have risen from 36 to 122, marking a 239 per cent increase.
The national fibre optic network has nearly doubled in length to 15,167 kilometres, while capacity has expanded tenfold to 2,000 Gbps. Data centre capacity has also increased, with facilities rising from three to four, supporting domestic data storage and processing.
Regulatory capacity has strengthened with the establishment of a national communications equipment testing laboratory in 2024, aimed at improving standards and ensuring quality across the sector.
At the consumer level, falling costs have improved affordability. Off-bundle call charges have more than halved, while bundled call rates have also declined, supporting broader access and digital inclusion.
The number of registered residential addresses has increased significantly to 350,000, reflecting improvements in national addressing systems and service delivery.
Minister for Communication and Information Technology Angellah Kairuki said the sector remains a key enabler of economic activity, supporting industries such as healthcare, agriculture, education, finance, trade and tourism, as the government continues implementing national ICT and postal policies.
Further expansion is underway, with contracts signed for 201 additional communication towers to be deployed across 263 villages and 201 wards, expected to benefit an estimated 2.8 million people by March 2027.
With a target of achieving full national communication coverage by 2030, analysts say Tanzania’s sustained investment is positioning the country as an increasingly competitive player in Africa’s digital economy.