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Simcards, fixed line subscriptions surge by 5.4pc

THE number of SIM cards and fixed lines has surged by 5.4 per cents between June and September 2024, according to the Tanzania Regulatory Authority (TCRA) report.
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DAR ES SALAAM: THE number of SIM cards and fixed lines has surged by 5.4 per cents between June and September 2024, according to the Tanzania Regulatory Authority (TCRA) report.

The authority said the surge reflects an increase of users and the robustness of competitive market.

The number of subscriptions grew from 76.6 million in the quarter ending June to 80.7 million as of September this year for SIM cards and fixed lines encompassing both Person to Person (P2P) and Machine to Machine (M2M) communications.

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During the presentation of the TCRA Communication Statistic report on Tuesday to journalists and editors in Dar es Salaam, the authority Director of Sectorial Affairs, Engineer Felician Mwesigwa said the growth signifies Tanzania progression towards digital economy.

“Data is crucial in digital economy. Without statistics, we cannot formulate effective policies make informed decisions or drive business strategies,” said Engineer Mwesigwa.

He highlighted that the telecommunications sector act as an enabler for various industries, playing a pivotal role as Tanzania transitions towards a digital economy.

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He added the sector serves as catalyst for the development of other industries.

Providing insights from the report Eng Mwesigwa said, Dar es Salaam leads with 14.8 million active subscriptions, followed by Mwanza with 5.3 million, Arusha with 4.9 million and Dodoma with 4.3 million subscriptions.

Unguja North and Pemba South regions have the lowest numbers of subscribers.

Eng Mwesigwa highlighted the trend of telecom subscriptions for P2P communication over the past five years showing steady increase from 47.6 per cent in 2019 to 70.2 per cent in 2020 with penetration soaring to 111 per cents.

Further he touched upon the average tariffs and bundle tariffs for voice, Short Message Service (SMS) and data services for local, East Africa and international charges.

“While on-net, off-net, data and local and international SMS tariffs remained unchanged, there was a decrease in EA tariffs by 2 per cent and an increase in Rest of the World tariffs by 4 per cent, “reads part of the report.

He said the voice services from outside Tanzania have increased compared to the voice’s services from Tanzania to outside the country.

Eng Mwesigwa noted likewise that within East Africa there is a significant surge of voice services as the price has decreased by 2 per cent.

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Regarding network coverage, Eng Mwesigwa reported that 3G coverage has reached 90.1 per cent of the population, while 4G coverage stands at 84.9 per cent.

He said the introduction of 5G technology is also making strides, with coverage expanding to 18 per cent of the population, promising faster speeds and improved connectivity.

Moreover, Eng Mwesigwa said smartphone penetration increased to 33.85 per cent by September up from 31.55 per cent recorded in June 2024.

Furthermore, penetration of feature phones also increased from 82.6 per cent in June 2024 to 84.83 per cent in September 2024.