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TCRA: Tanzanians’ call costs to EAC member states drop 61pc in three months
What you need to know:
- Tanzania joined the East African bloc’s unified roaming system or One Network Area (ONA) in July 2023 after a considerable delay
Dar es Salaam. The cost of phone calls from Tanzania to other East African Community (EAC) member states fell by 61 percent between April and June this year, following the implementation of a regional agreement to make communication more affordable across the bloc.
According to a report by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), the average cost of cross-border calls declined from Sh627.80 per minute in March to Sh247.52 in June 2025.
“This drop reflects the impact of the harmonised regional policy to reduce roaming charges for users within the EAC,” said TCRA director general, Dr Jabiri Bakari.
“It’s a significant relief for consumers and a step forward in regional integration.”
The report shows that the number of international minutes from Tanzania to other EAC countries surged from just over nine million in the April–June quarter of 2021 to more than 156 million minutes during the same period this year.
“This is a clear sign that affordability drives usage. More people are staying connected with family, business partners, and institutions across the region,” Dr Bakari noted.
Domestically, average voice call charges for out-of-bundle users have remained unchanged since June last year—Sh26 per minute for on-net calls and Sh28 for off-net.
However, TCRA highlighted increasing competition among operators offering lower rates.
“Halotel, for example, continues to charge significantly less, Sh10 per minute on-net and Sh20 off-net, compared to other major providers such as Airtel, Vodacom, TTCL and Yas, who all charge Sh30 per minute regardless of the network,” Dr Bakari said.
Between June 2021 and June 2025, out-of-bundle call costs dropped by 21 percent, from Sh34 per minute.
For bundle users, the average on-net rate has remained at Sh4.80 since September 2024, while the off-net rate declined slightly from Sh6.07 in March to Sh5.96 in June.
Bundle prices have decreased by 71 percent over the past four years, from Sh8.30 per minute in 2021 to the current rate.
Tanzanians made a total of 43.3 billion voice call minutes between April and June this year, up from 40.6 billion minutes in the first quarter.
“This continued growth in call volume reflects a strong demand for affordable voice communication, both locally and regionally,” the report stated.
In March this year, telecommunication stakeholders from across Africa convened in Kampala, Uganda, for a knowledge exchange and engagement workshop on the One Africa Network (OAN) and the EAC One Network Area (ONA).
The OAN and ONA initiatives aim to enable affordable, seamless cross-border communication by eliminating excessive roaming charges, harmonising regulatory frameworks, and promoting stronger cooperation among African nations.
By leveraging these frameworks, the continent seeks to accelerate regional integration, drive economic growth, and increase citizens’ access to digital services.
An initiative of the EAC, the ONA seeks to create a single telecommunications market across partner states, essentially removing roaming charges and allowing users to make calls within the region at local rates, promoting greater connectivity and economic integration within East Africa.
The ONA currently covers Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan, with plans underway to include the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Federal Republic of Somalia.
