Limited number of internet users is the main obstacle of ICT projects success in Tanzania





Growth in Africa’s Internet and broadband sector has accelerated in recent years. While being the world’s most rapidly growing market for mobile telephony. Africa is also the home to some of the fastest growing fixed-line market in the world. Believe it or not until mid-2010 mobile users constituted around 90% of all African telephone subscribers due to problem in penetration of the physical network into vast lands of the continent. The most targeted group is the lower income group since they are sensitive to the market the telecommunication companies have been struggling to lower their tariffs and come up with packages which will attract more customers.

Tanzania ranking 6th position in Africa in terms of the number of internet users with around 4.9 million users as per December 2011 internet world stats you might say yes we are doing it we are above almost 40 African countries in terms of internet access but the questions that pop into our mind should be what is the proportion of 4.9million compared to the total population of Tanzania which is approximately 40 million people you will find out only 12 percent of our total population are subscribed to the internet which is the main source of technology advancement and communication.

The challenge that comes up is that the remaining eighty something percent remain unreached with the internet access. Internet is becoming the basic need of the human being that why this is called the information age. People needing access to the internet becoming inevitable but how are the government and the ICT community of Tanzania coping up with the situation.


Having limited people who can access the internet is among the major challenges in the advancement of the technology industry. People are coming up with creative and massive ideas everyday but the problem is how we can reach the audience using technology if only 12 percent of the total population have access to the internet and sometimes is not even proper internet access.

The dreams of e- learning and knowledge sharing through technology are becoming almost next to impossible due to the limited access of the internet. Thanks God the emergency of m-learning (mobile learning) which is proposed to be practiced in some other African country such as Ghana.
It is our responsibility has individuals to come up with ideas which will enhance the accessibility of the internet everywhere in our country from rural areas to urban areas. The accessibility of the internet will increase the market for our products and innovative ideas online.  Consider having an application which is able to anticipate the different seasons of the year which is very useful to farmers but it is available online although the idea is great and impacts the community directly but only few with internet access will be able to buy or utilize the application and most of the population of the people who are located in cities and towns are not farmers hence your goal will fail due to the limited access of Internet.

We should set a goal by 2015 the number of internet users in Tanzania should double the current number so that we can chase our neighbors Kenya. This is possible if every one of us local ICT communities and the government in general we will be ready to invest in technology and challenge the speed of growth of the          Industry. The increase in number of internet users will help Tanzania government to reach people easily and in time and deal with their problems effectively.

By Jumanne Mtambalike
TECH360 Correspondent