TANZANIA’S internet coverage has reached 72 percent of the population as of March 2025, signalling strong progress toward the government’s goal of hitting 80 percent access by year-end, according to the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA).

The milestone was revealed in TCRA’s latest quarterly report, which covers the period from January to March 2025. The report indicates that active internet subscriptions have grown steadily—rising by 8 percent each quarter since June 2024.

According to TCRA director general Dr Jabiri Bakari, the number of SIM cards used for internet services jumped by 70 percent over the last four years, increasing from 29 million in March 2021 to over 49.3 million in March 2025.

“In the national development strategy, the government aimed to increase internet access to 80 percent of the population between November 2020 and November 2025,” Dr Bakari noted. “We are now in striking distance of that target.”

He explained that internet penetration is calculated based on the number of SIM cards used to access the internet in the three months prior to the assessment—regardless of the type of device or technology.

Mobile internet continues to dominate, with 99.6 percent of users accessing services via mobile phones, tablets, or modems. Although fixed-line technologies such as Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) and Fiber-to-the-Office (FTTO) offer nearly three times the speed of mobile connections, they still serve a relatively small segment of users.

Nonetheless, the use of fiber internet is growing. The report shows a 5.32 percent increase in fiber subscriptions between December 2024 and March 2025, rising from 83,203 to 91,625.

Currently, average download speeds via mobile internet stand at 12.5 megabits per second (Mbps), while fiber networks deliver speeds up to 35 Mbps. Upload speeds are 10.8 Mbps for mobile users and 31.8 Mbps for fiber users.

Despite the increase in users and speed, Tanzania is still underutilizing its international internet capacity. The report reveals that only 10.9 percent of the available 17,200 gigabits per second (Gbps) bandwidth is currently in use, with just 1,968 Gbps being tapped.

To bridge the gap, the government is rolling out initiatives aimed at enhancing mobile communications infrastructure and transitioning to high-speed technologies. “This includes constructing and upgrading telecom towers across the country,” said Dr Bakari.

The report also notes continued growth in 5G adoption. The number of 5G users rose by 12 percent in the first quarter of 2025, increasing from just over 1 million to more than 1.1 million. Tanzania introduced 5G services in 2022, offering significantly faster and more efficient connectivity.