Tanzania sees sharp growth in communications coverage heading to the nationwide goal by 2030

DODOMA: TANZANIA’S communications sector has recorded sharp growth in coverage and usage over the past four years, as the government pushes ahead with major infrastructure expansion and sets its sights on nationwide connectivity by 2030.

Presenting a progress report to President Samia Suluhu Hassan during the launch of 758 telecom towers and fibre optic links across 85 districts, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Mohammed Hamis Abdullah, said access to mobile networks and internet services has expanded significantly between 2021 and December 2025.

Elaborating, the PS said 2G population coverage rose from 96.1 per cent in 2021 to 98.6 per cent in 2025, while 3G coverage jumped from 70.3 per cent to 93.92 per cent over the same period.

Additionally, he said that Fourth generation (4G) coverage nearly doubled from 50.4 per cent to 94.21 per cent, as fifth generation (5G) services grew from zero to 30.15 per cent.

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Moreover, he said that geographical coverage also improved, with 2G expanding from 74.6 per cent to 79.5 per cent, 3G from 51.0 per cent to 77.0 per cent, and 4G from 34.3 per cent to 77.3 per cent. 5G, which had no footprint in 2021, reached 30.3 per cent of the country by 2025.

Mr Abdullah also said that the government is now engaging service providers to agree on a sector roadmap towards 2030, with a key target of ensuring no part of the country remains without communication services.

“We are in discussions with stakeholders to determine what milestone we will present to the President by 2030, but the goal is clear—universal connectivity across the country,” he said.

Furthermore, he said that mobile subscriptions also surged during the period, rising from 52.8 million users in 2021 to more than double that figure by 2025. Internet subscriptions similarly increased by about 100 per cent, reflecting growing demand for digital services.

Internet penetration climbed from 48.9 per cent in 2021 to 85.3 per cent in 2025, an increase of 36.4 percentage points.

“The rapid growth underscores improved digital infrastructure and uptake, which officials say is accelerating innovation, e-commerce and the delivery of e-government services nationwide,” he said.