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Dar es Salaam. The US Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Michael Battle, has said Tanzania could take advantage of its rapid population growth to boost the economy if it embraced the transformative potential of digital technologies.
Mr Battle made the remarks on Thursday, May 9, 2024, during a meeting of communication stakeholders aimed at discussing the findings of a study entitled The Independent Tower Industry as a Key Enabler of the Development of African Telecommunications.
Mr Battle said that with the right regulations, investments, and frameworks, telecommunications technologies can transform the information ecosystem and level the information playing field, catapulting Tanzania, and the African continent as a whole into the driver’s seat of the world’s economy.
Tanzania’s population is now 65 million. It is set to double by 2050, with almost half of all citizens under the age of 18.
The US ambassador to Tanzania Michael Battle (left) speaks with the minister for Information, Communication and Information Technology, Nape Nnauye, on the sidelines of a conference on telecommunications on Thursday, May 9, 2024. PHOTO | CORRESPONDENT
“While some may worry about these rapidly expanding demographics, I see hope and promise,” he said.
“This generation of Tanzanians will lead the way in spreading peace, prosperity, and cultural revival across their country and the continent. Your work, investing and developing the telecommunications sector here, is giving them the tools to succeed,” he added.
The envoy said that long gone are the days when business, banking, and trade had to be conducted face-to-face. Nowadays, a rice farmer in Mbeya can get access to prices in markets in Morogoro and Dar es Salaam at the touch of a button on his or her phone.
“I am excited, but not surprised, that Tanzania is again leading the way in Africa, not just incentivizing but actively bringing in new investment and launching the 5G networks ahead of many others on the continent,” he added.
Presenting the findings of the study conducted by the Telecom Advisory Services institution, lead researcher Prof Raul Katz said independent tower-sharing has brought about a positive trend in communication distribution in Africa.
However, he said the remaining challenge was the continent’s ability to afford the costs of the network, forcing the majority of people to abandon the use of nearby services.
"The cost of communication services in most African countries has reached 4.4 percent of their monthly income, a level much higher than the two percent recommended by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)," said Prof Katz.
The minister for Information, Communication and Information Technology, Nape Nnauye, said the government is determined to reduce the cost of telecommunications services to facilitate digital inclusion.
"We are working with the private sector to expand communication services to periphery areas through tax reviews. We also encourage investment in independent towers to reduce operational costs," said Mr Nnauye.
In another development, Mr Nnauye hailed JamiiForums officials for their plans to distribute affordable smartphones throughout the country to bridge the digital divide.
"We are spending a lot of money on building the communication infrastructure and so forth. But the use of internet services remains low,” he said.
“Many citizens still use feature phones, so the availability of affordable smartphones will significantly increase internet usage," said Mr Nnauye, commending JamiiForums for their plans.
JamiiForums director, Maxcence Melo, said the plan is to manufacture and distribute over 10 million smartphones to rural residents worth $20 (Sh50,000) each, with a battery life of up to seven days.
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