Tanzania Telecommunication Company (TTCL) and Universal Communication Service Access Fund (UCSAF) have inked an agreement to improve basic telecom services in rural areas in a project that is set to cost over $6-million.
According to the TTCL Chief Executive Officer Kamugisha Kazaura, the project is expected to start as soon as possible and will see about 33 constituencies with around 202 villages and will see some 300 000 people being connected.
“Our aim is to make sure that every constituency and village that was lacking telecommunication for a long time, to have that access,” Kazaura said.
It will cover 16 regions in Tanzania, including Arusha, Tabora, Iringa, Kagera, Manyara, Dodoma, Lindi, Mbeya, Morogoro and Mtwara. Other regions ear-marked for future development include Mwanza, Pwani, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida and Tanga.
According to East Africa Business, Kazaura added that the “implementation of the project will to a greater extent help to reduce poverty in the rural areas.”
He also added that most of the areas where the project is expected to be carried out are underdeveloped due mainly to lack of telecommunication links.
Charlie Fripp – Consumer Tech editor
