Dar es Salaam. The government is mulling over various initiatives that will stabilise prices for mobile data bundles and ensure a win-win situation between telecom operators and consumers.
This was revealed by Information, Communications and Information Technology depty minister Kundo Mathew on Thursday.
The initiatives include advancing ICT infrastructures and creating proper systems to inform on customer data usage and guide expiration of internet data bundles.
Mr Mathew said this during his visit to Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL) headquarters in the city.
He said on data usage the government has initiated talks with the service providers to figure out how a customer will be able to receive a statement on his data bundle usage.
“This would enable an individual to know the correct use of his bundle and will also be able to cancel those uses that are not his priority like the automatic background, program updates that consume his data,” he said.
Another initiative that the government is set to work in collaboration with the service providers will be on the expiration period of the internet bundles, which sometimes occurs while a customer has yet to use or finish his package.
Mr Mathew said: “We will discuss if it possible to enable a transfer of the bundle to a friend, or if one can have an option to carry over a package to another week after purchasing a new package before the cessation period.”
Part of the government efforts also include the major investment that is directed for the construction of the National Fibre Optic Cable network named as National ICT Broadband Backbone (NICTBB).
The deputy minister said the government targets to increase the usage of ICT for equitable and sustainable socio-economic and cultural development of Tanzania.
He said the network which is cheaper and faster would also make ICT related services particularly internet affordable and readily available to common Tanzanians.
“The government has also increased the ministry budget for the 2021/2022 fiscal year from the previous Sh11 billion to Sh230 billion, which means more developmental projects, more employment opportunities and a chance to improve individual and national economy,” said Mr Mathew.
Moreover, in regard to media development the deputy minister said the current government has implemented a different approach on dealing with the media which basically rely on dialogue and common understating.
“We are partners, and we must work together. The government is directly linked to creating conducive policy and legal frameworks and we are willing to discuss the challenges and address them accordingly,” he said.
For his part, MCL managing director Bakari Machumu expressed readiness to take part in the digital transformation in areas such as content and technology and continue to bring profound social impact.
MCL publishes Mwananchi, The Citizen, MwanaSpoti and runs several online platforms.
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