The Tanzanian government is moving closer to its target to secure full ownership of national PTO Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL), as part of state efforts to make the ailing operator the industry market leader again. Currently, the government owns 35% of TTCL’s shares, with the remaining 65% in the control of mobile operator Airtel Tanzania. However, the deputy minister at the Ministry for Communication, Science and Technology, January Makamba, is quoted by local press as saying that the government is intent on turning TTCL into Tanzania’s leading telecoms service provider in the near future, and ensuring it performs better in the local voice and data services market. ‘After building TTCL’s capacity, communication services, particularly mobile phones, will be available in all parts of the country including rural areas,’ the deputy minister said. Makamba’s words were echoed by the telco’s CEO Kamugisha Kazaura who confirmed that: ‘The focus of the company is to shift from code division multiple access (CDMA) to the global system for mobile communications (GSM) technology, which is the latest with much impact in communications systems.’ The chief executive hopes this route will allow a smoother migration to 4G Long Term Evolution technology in future. Around USD15.5 million will be spent initially to bolster TTCL’s network projects.
07 Nov 2013
