Tanzania’s National ICT Broadband Backbone (NICTBB) has signed a contract that will allow Vodacom Tanzania to use the government owned fibre optics cable infrastructure to enhance connectivity in rural Tanzania. The deal, inked by Tanzania Telecommunication Company (TTCL) director general Waziri Kindamba and Vodacom acting MD Hendi Hisham, will improve Vodacom’s voice and data traffic across lake, central, northern and southern regions of Tanzania.
Vodacom Tanzania has been a key stakeholder in the usage of NICTBB infrastructure since 2012, with capacity leasing contracts worth USD 34.6 million signed in the period between 2012 and 2017. Over the five years TTCL have worked with the telecommunication company in the country for the use of fibre optics infrastructure. This year, Vodacom will be leasing the NICTBB capacity extending countrywide across 7,560 km for ten years as per the contract worth USD 11.2 million. This makes total contract signed between two parties in the past years to USD 45.8 million.
The fibre optics cable will be available to Vodacom subscribers all over Tanzania. Expanding their investment, Vodacom plans to assist the government through efficient use of fiber optics cables over the course of the next few years combining their telecommunication expertise with the existing foundation of government infrastructure.
With increasing demand of information services, Vodacom will use the government infrastructure to meet consumer needs. The new deal is set to increase the capacity of data traffic thereby enhancing usage of ICT applications for sustainable socio-economic development including implementation of e-government, e-learning, e-health, e-commerce and much more in key towns in the four regions.