Tanzania mobile phone subscriptions up

The number of new mobile phone subscriptions in Tanzania went up by 10.9 per cent by September 2011, following an increase of more that 2.6 million subscriptions in six months.

In the period starting April 2011, voice telecom subscriptions stood at 21.36 million. By September, the figure had reached 23.97 million, making a 10.9 per cent growth in six months for all mobile operators.

A report released recently by Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) showed that there was a high subscription of voice services along with other services.

The report showed that Vodacom Tanzania alone had recorded a four per cent increase in voice telecom subscription in the quarter ending on September 2011 –up from two per cent, in the April to June quarter in 2011.

Vodacom subscription in April stood at 8.97 million customers and in September 2011, quarterly subscription per operator for Vodacom stood at 10.27 million voice subscriptions.

It was followed by Airtel with an increase of 693,393, Tigo 556,871, Zantel 67,157 subscription respectively –with TTCL recording a drop by 6,919 to its telecom voice services.

TCRA report indicated that Vodacom had the highest subscription rate compared to other operators during the same period.  

This, according to the report gave Vodacom a 42 per cent of subscription market shares of all telecommunication companies in Tanzania –which stands at 29 per cent for Airtel, 22 per cent for Tigo, 6 per cent for Zantel and 1 per cent for TTCL –putting Sasatel and Benson at 0.03 and 0.01 per cent respectively.

The report showed that the growth of subscription rate doubled that of April to June 2011, from two per cent to four per cent. The Monthly Average Growth Rate Per Operator, as released by TCRA, indicated that Vodacom had 4 per cent, Airtel 2 per cent, Tigo 2 per cent, Zantel with 0.1 per cent, TTCL -0.2  per cent Benson 1 per cent and Sasatel -7 per cent growth rates.