The adoption of telecom services continues in Africa amid digital transformation. In Tanzania, for example, the GSMA predicts 11 million new mobile internet subscribers between 2023 and 2030, making it the fifth-fastest-growing country over this period.

The number of internet subscriptions in Tanzania increased by 4.1 percent to 56.3 million in the first quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year, which ended in September. This is according to data released by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) in its latest quarterly communications statistics report.

The report states that the internet penetration rate has reached 82.6%, up from 79% previously. This increase is due to the expansion of 4G networks and the emergence of 5G, particularly in urban centers such as Dar es Salaam and Mwanza. 5G population coverage now stands at 28.9%, while 4G and 3G cover 94.2% and 93.8% of the population, respectively. Mobile broadband now accounts for more than 99% of internet connections in the country.

The number of active telecom subscriptions also grew significantly, up 7.1% to 99.3 million. Vodacom leads the market with a 31.5% market share, followed by Yas (28.2%) and Airtel (21.9%). Domestic voice traffic reached 47.4 billion minutes, a quarterly increase of 9.5%. The use of mobile money services remains another growth driver. Subscriptions grew 5.3% to 71.7 million, while the number of quarterly transactions exceeded 5.27 billion.

These results confirm Tanzania’s upward digital trajectory, supported by the National ICT Policy 2025 and the Digital Tanzania Program, a World Bank-backed initiative aimed at expanding broadband connectivity and strengthening digital public services. With more than 80% of its population online and mobile financial services integrated into daily life, the country is transforming its infrastructure into levers of inclusion.

Source: Agence Ecofin