Tanzania 5G coverage at 13 percent, new report shows

Dar es Salaam. The uptake of fifth-generation technology (5G) in the country has reached 13 percent, approximately a year and a half since the latest mobile network service was rolled out in Tanzania, a new report indicates.

Operators have hailed the move, saying it points to a positive development towards the adoption of high-tech mobile phone network services in the country.

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), released on Monday this week, shows that 5G coverage sprang from zero percent in December 2023 to 13 percent at the end of the first quarter ending March 2024.

The same report also indicated some progress had been made in the expansion of 4G coverage, from 79 percent in December 2023 to 80 percent by March 2024.

Read: 5G launch offers new hope for Tanzania's tech strategy

The percentage of geographical coverage for 4G also increased from 63 percent in the previous quarter to 64 percent in the quarter under review, while that of 5G increased from 0 percent to 1 percent in the same period.

Notably, Dar es Salaam leads in all categories of mobile phone coverage, underscoring its status as the country’s major hub for connectivity.

“The data underscores a progressive transition towards advanced mobile technologies, emphasising the need for enhancing 4G and introducing 5G networks to meet future communication demands,” the report reads in part.

The 4G technology, while not as widespread as 2G and 3G, still shows significant coverage with 11,225 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), compared to 12026 BTS for 3G and 13205 BTS for 2G, the report further says.

A BTS is a piece of network equipment that facilitates wireless communication between a device and the network.

However, 5G network infrastructure has only 638 BTS countrywide, concentrated primarily in urban areas like Dar es Salaam (457), Mjini Magharibi in Zanzibar (37), Dodoma (28), Arusha (22) and Mwanza (20), indicating slow but sure uptake in the initial phases of 5G deployment.

Commenting on the report, TCRA director general Jabiri Bakari said the findings were good news, especially as far as 5G coverage is concerned.

“Attainment of 13 percent growth in 5G coverage is good news and we hope the ongoing efforts among stakeholders will produce more positive results,” he noted.

Dr Bakari added that the sector is growing at a better pace compared to five years ago. He says it is high time for young people to take advantage of that opportunity because Tanzania has already entered the digital space.

In his view, more and more Tanzanians are using the internet for social and developmental issues, with only a few using it for useless things, and measures have been taken against them.

Operators speak out

Vodacom Tanzania network quality assurance head Emmanuel Luanda told The Citizen on Wednesday that Vodacom’s pioneering role in deploying 5G underscores its commitment to driving innovation and enhancing connectivity for businesses.

“The increase in coverage to 13 percent is good news for us. We have made substantial progress in investing in 5G network infrastructure, increasing our 5G sites from 232 in 2022 to 364 today. 5G is not just about faster internet for consumers. It is primarily tailored for businesses, enabling transformative use cases in the Internet of Things (IoT) and business-to-business (B2B) deployments,” he said.

Airtel Tanzania regulatory and corporate communications director Beatrice Singano said the deployment and adoption of 5G technology involves various factors, including infrastructure development, spectrum availability, device compatibility, and consumer demand.

“It also requires a collaborative effort from all stakeholders, including telecom operators, regulators, device availability, and consumer awareness,” she said.

Ms Singano said Airtel Tanzania is actively working to bolster the adoption of 5G technology by investing in infrastructure expansion and strategic partnerships.

Currently, more than 90 percent of all Airtel sites have 4G, which guarantees excellent customer experience in both voice and data.

Tigo Tanzania chief executive Kamal Okba said since 2022, the company has committed to investing over Sh1 trillion within five years to improve and modernise its network infrastructure, the fastest (1 Gbps) 5G technology, and to upgrade all our sites to 4G technology across the Tanzanian mainland and Zanzibar.

“This investment has significantly enhanced our customers’ digital experience and led to Tigo earning local and international accolades,” he said.

He said while 4G infrastructure coverage in the country is high, there is still low adoption and usage because of the 4G-capable devices available on the market.

“We have a device financing strategy that is focused on 4G and 5G-capable devices, and we plan to bring more than 1 million devices by the end of 2025,” he noted.

TCRA head of communications and public relations Rolf Kibaja said the current situation is satisfactory, but more efforts are needed to increase the uptake of 5G in Tanzania.