Tanzania ranked 107 out 117 nations on digital quality of life

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has performed poorly in the latest digital quality of life ranking.

However, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has downplayed Tanzania’s lowly position in a global digital well-being report.

The fourth annual edition of the Digital Quality of Life Index (DQL) ranks Tanzania 107th out of 117 countries around the world.

The report looks at five fundamental pillars of digital life – internet affordability, internet quality, e-infrastructure, e-security, and e-government.

Tanzania’s worst score is in internet affordability (ranking 111th globally) and best in e-government (94th), according to the report.

However, TCRA director general Jabiri Bakari said the study conducted by the cyber security company Surfshark “made no sense”.

“I don’t know what their (Digital Quality of Life Index) objective is,” Dr Bakari told The Citizen.

“Some independent companies are biased, and conduct research to suit their own interests. However, some are objective.”

Dr Jabiri said, for example, that findings by Worldwide Mobile Data pricing published by Cable.co.uk ranked Tanzania seventh in Africa and 50th in the world in having the most affordable mobile data prices.

According to the DQL report, Tanzania’s internet quality services come 105th, while e-security and e-infrastructure rank 106th and 109th, respectively.

In the face of waging inflation, fixed broadband internet has become less affordable worldwide for the second year in a row, prying the global digital divide even further.

This year, Tanzania comes at the lower end of the index, not even making it into the top 100 in the final index.

The country, according to the report, has dropped by two positions since last year’s edition, falling from 105th.

Out of all index pillars, Tanzania’s weakest spot is internet affordability, which needs to improve by 9240 percent to match Israel, which has the most affordable mobile internet on the planet.

“Tanzania’s internet quality, considering internet speed, stability and growth, ranks 105th in the world and is 31 percent worse than the global average,” reads a part of the report.

Regarding internet speed alone, Tanzania’s fixed broadband internet ranks higher than mobile in the global ranking, operating at 18.9 Mbps/s (103rd globally).

Meanwhile, the mobile internet comes 114th (14.5 Mbps/s).

Compared to Kenya, according to the report, Tanzania’s mobile internet is 40 percent slower, while broadband is of around the same speed.

“Internet in Tanzania is not affordable compared to global standards, there’s a lot of room for improvement,” reads a part of the report.

Its affordability decreased since the previous year, making people work 4 minutes 29 seconds more to afford the same mobile internet service.

Fixed broadband costs Tanzanian citizens around 18 hours, 23 minutes of their working time each month.

To afford it, Tanzanians have to work 57 times more than Israeli citizens, for whom the most affordable package costs only 19 minutes of work monthly.

Since last year, broadband internet has become less affordable in Tanzania, making people work five hours 46 minutes more to afford fixed broadband internet service.

The global digital divide is now deeper than ever

Globally, broadband is getting less affordable each year.

Looking at countries included in last year’s index, people have to work six minutes more to afford broadband internet in 2022.

In some countries, such as Ivory Coast and Uganda, people work an average of two weeks to earn the cheapest fixed broadband internet package.

Surfshark’s study also found that countries with the poorest internet connection have to work for it the longest.

“While countries with a strong digital quality of life tend to be those of advanced economies, our global study found that money doesn’t always buy digital happiness,” said Mr Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske, the head of public relations at Surfshark.

“That is why, for the fourth year in a row, we continue analysing the digital quality of life to see how different nations keep up with providing the basic digital necessities for their citizens.

“Most importantly, our research seeks to show the full picture of the global digital divide that millions of people are suffering from.”

The best and the worst countries to live in by the digital quality of life

Overall, seven out of 10 highest-scoring countries are in Europe, which has been the case for the past three years.

Israel ranks first in DQL 2022 pushing Denmark to second place after its two-year lead.

Germany ranks third, and France and Sweden round up the top five of the 117 evaluated nations.

DR Congo, Yemen, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Cameroon are the bottom five countries.

Regionally, among African countries, people in South Africa enjoy the highest digital life quality while Tanzania stands at 17 place.

The US stands out in the Americas as a country with the highest digital quality of life, while Israel takes the leading position in Asia.