Boost for telecom industry as 5G race continues

TANZANIA’s telecommunication industry continues to keep pace with the rest in the digital world thanks to the expansion of 5G technology use among mobile phone service providers.

In yet another milestone, one of the country’s big players in the ever-growing telecommunication sector, Tigo Tanzania revealed on Wednesday that it has achieved the fastest 5G download speed of 1 Gigabits per second (1Gbps) in Dar es Salaam.

In addition, the company became the first to launch 5G technology in Zanzibar, while also deploying 5G technology in the capital city, Dodoma.

” This 5G ultra-wideband game-changing download speed is the fastest in Tanzania. We at Tigo always strive to meet the ever-increasing bandwidth demand from diverse needs of customers, businesses, automation and gaming,” Tigo Tanzania Managing Director, Kamal Okba said.

“Today’s landmark announcement is a result of Tigo’s efforts in building a robust 5G network and 1 Gbps is truly a huge leap forward in the 5G era to offer a speed 10 times faster than  4G speed. This will have a significant and profound change on individuals, industries, society and the economy, transforming how we live and work,” he added.

The 5G wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability and a more uniform user experience to more users.

Okba claimed that the 5g launch was in line with his company’s transformative journey and its objective of offering customers the best digital experience.

“We are now competing with the developed nations who are currently rolling out 5G technology. The latest generation of mobile communication technology in Tanzania denote that full possibilities of ubiquitous connectivity are now opened to our customers,” he boasted.

Tigo has also launched the first 5G network in Zanzibar, which is a first in the Isles and the company expressed  intention to continue investing in modern technologies in the Indian Ocean archipelagos.

“This is a catalyst for the communication sector, where Tanzania continues to benefit from modern technologies that bring new economic and social opportunities,” the Managing Director said.

He added: “Through our state-of-the art 5G technology, we aspire to help Tanzania build an inclusive digital economy to meet various social and economic challenges, while at the same improving customer experience. Additionally, this technology will enable new consumer services and encourage technological innovations in the ecosystem.”

5G is the 5th generation mobile network. It is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks.

5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.

According to the government, Tanzania has enjoyed a rapid utilisation of evolving digital technologies in communication and production to leapfrog competences in various sectors of the economy.

“Digital technologies are now present in multiple sectors of the economy and social life, from telecommunications and finance, to governance, marketing and service delivery,” reads the Five-Year Development Plan III.

The government insists on effective utilisation of digital technologies, saying it will add to the scope and range of domestic production for self-reliance, as well as, enhance export trade capacity and growth with employment.

The FYDP III, (2021/2022-2025/2026), which is under implementation, has prioritised the harnessing of development possibilities presented by big data, automation, Artificial Intelligence (IA) and robotisation.