Tanzania’s access to communications services hits heights as digital infrastructure expands

DODOMA: THE Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Information Technology, Mohammed Khamis Abdulla, has said that access to communication services in Tanzania has significantly improved between 2021 and December 2025, driven by increased investment and expansion of digital infrastructure.

Speaking on April 10, 2026, at the Jakaya Kikwete Convention Centre in Dodoma during a ceremony marking the launch of 758 communication towers, fibre optic backbone connections across 85 districts, and the official handover of the national fibre optic backbone infrastructure to the government, he highlighted major improvements in national internet and mobile coverage.

For 2G services, coverage increased from 96.1 per cent in 2021 to 98.6 per cent in December 2025, representing a 2.5 per cent increase. 3G coverage rose from 70.3 per cent to 93.92 per cent over the same period, an increase of 23.64 per cent.

4G services recorded even stronger growth, rising from 50.4 per cent in 2021 to 94.21 per cent in December 2025, equivalent to a 43.8 per cent increase.

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Regarding 5G technology, Abdulla noted that in 2021 it had not yet reached the public, but by December 2025 it had expanded to cover 30.15 per cent of Tanzanians, marking the beginning of a broader shift toward high-speed digital connectivity.

He attributed these achievements to government investment in communication infrastructure and the implementation of large-scale network expansion projects aimed at strengthening the digital economy and increasing citizen participation in ICT-driven services.