Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s digital communications sector has continued to surge, with the number of mobile telecommunications subscriptions rising to 90.4 million and internet subscriptions reaching 49.3 million by the end of March 2025, the latest sector performance report by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) shows.
The quarterly increase of 4.1 percent in telecom subscriptions — from 86.8 million in December 2024 — reflects sustained momentum in the sector, driven largely by the uptake of both person-to-person (P2P) and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications.
Of these, P2P subscriptions accounted for 89.3 million, while M2M subscriptions reached 1.05 million during the quarter.
Vodacom maintained the largest market share in mobile subscriptions at 31.9 percent, followed by Yas (28.5 percent) and Airtel (23 percent).
TTCL and Halotel comprised the remaining segment. Regionally, Dar es Salaam led with 16.6 million active SIM cards, ahead of Mwanza (6 million), Arusha (5.4 million), Mbeya (5.2 million), and Dodoma (4.8 million).
“In the past five years, subscriptions have grown steadily from 51.3 million in 2020 to more than 90 million in early 2025,” the report reads in part.
Dar es Salaam leads in subscriptions
Regionally, Dar es Salaam led with the highest number of active subscriptions at 16.6 million.
It was followed regions with major towns – by Mwanza (6.0 million), Arusha (5.4 million), Mbeya (5.2 million), and Dodoma (4.8 million), – illustrating continued urban dominance in telecommunications uptake.
A gender-based breakdown showed a relatively balanced distribution, with male subscribers numbering 45.9 million and female subscribers at 43.4 million.
“The steady rise in subscriptions is consistent with a five-year growth pattern, with the total number of mobile and fixed connections increasing from 51.3 million in 2020 to 90.4 million in early 2025,” the report says.
This expansion is largely attributed to infrastructure investment, network coverage improvements, and regulatory initiatives aimed at enhancing service delivery.
Internet subscriptions and data use on the rise
Parallel to the growth in mobile voice and messaging services, internet subscriptions also rose notably during the same period.
As of March 2025, internet subscriptions reached 49.3 million, up from 48.0 million in December 2024, reflecting a 2.7 percent quarterly increase.
Mobile broadband services accounted for an overwhelming 99.6 percent of total internet subscriptions, cementing mobile phones as the primary tool for accessing digital services.
Among technologies, 2G continued to have the highest number of users at 22 million, followed by 4G at 21.5 million and 3G at 4.5 million.
Meanwhile, 5G subscriptions, though still in their infancy, surpassed the one-million mark.
Fixed internet services remained a marginal segment of the market, comprising just 0.4 percent of all subscriptions.
Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) subscriptions stood at 77,940, while Fibre-to-the-office (FTTO) connections reached 13,685.
Terrestrial wireless and satellite services accounted for the remainder of fixed access technologies.
The quarter also witnessed a surge in data usage, with average consumption per subscriber increasing from 3.48 gigabytes in January to 4.10 gigabytes in March.
This growth indicates greater engagement with online platforms for entertainment, education, commerce, and communication.
Despite the high usage levels, the report reveals that only 11.4 percent of Tanzania’s total international internet capacity — estimated at 17,200 Gbps — has been activated.
This points to significant room for scaling up digital services, particularly in underserved and rural areas.
TCRA attributed the strong performance of the telecommunications and internet sectors to continued investments in network infrastructure, especially the rollout of 4G and the gradual deployment of 5G technologies.
