• Tanzania to build 1,400 towers by 2027 to boost rural Internet.

• First 626 sites live by June 2026, linked to national backbone.

• The project aims to cut digital divide and drive ICT-led economy.

Tanzania plans to deploy 1,400 new telecom towers by 2027 to extend network coverage to underserved rural areas, the state-owned Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation (TTCL) said.

The rollout will take place in two phases: 626 towers are scheduled to go live by June 2026, followed by 774 more the next year. All sites will connect to the National ICT Broadband Backbone (NICTBB) to ensure high-speed and resilient service, TTCL Managing Director Moremi Marwa told the CEOs Forum 2025 in Arusha last week.

The initiative forms part of Tanzania’s digital strategy and Vision 2050, which aims to build an ICT-driven economy. Authorities expect the project to reduce the digital divide by improving access to e-learning, telemedicine, financial services and e-commerce in rural communities.

Beyond connectivity, the expansion is expected to strengthen agricultural productivity, boost entrepreneurship and integrate local markets into the digital economy.

According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Tanzania’s mobile coverage in 2024 reached 98.2% for 2G, 91% for 3G and 88% for 4G. However, the country scored 0.3792 on the UN DESA e-government infrastructure index, below the African average of 0.4534.

This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum