08 July 2022

 

 

Tanzania will benefit from China’s support in promoting the distribution of information and communication technologies, after the countries signed a deal for the adoption and development 5G mobile technology in the country.

Discussions also covered the deployment of telecommunication services in inaccessible areas (especially in rural areas), cybersecurity, Tanzania’s candidacy for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council.

“Basically, we also agreed to further improve the issue of online security, especially in the area of capacity building of our ICT experts, technology exchange programs that will enable the development of cross-sectoral economic development sectors such as agriculture, health, internet commerce, etc.,” said Nape Nnauye, Tanzania’s minister of information, communications and information technology.

This partnership comes less than a month after the Tanzanian authorities authorised investments in 5G, much to the delight of operators such as Vodacom, which has been displaying its ambitions for this technology since 2020.

Tanzania will therefore benefit from the experience and expertise of Chinese technology companies such as Huawei and ZTE for the deployment of 5G and related technologies.

According to the signatories, this agreement is expected to boost economic development and increase employment, especially for youth, through technological innovation,” added Chen Mingjian, China’s ambassador to Tanzania.

China also pledged to continue to cooperate with Tanzania to ensure that the goal is achieved.

In April 2021, Tanzania’s president Samia Suluhu met with the leaders of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the country to discuss various issues pertaining to trade and investment. The Chamber informed that 800 Chinese companies are ready to invest in Tanzania in telecoms as a priority.