East Africa: Tz Enjoys Lowest Mobile Data Prices in EAC

TANZANIA leads other East African Community (EAC) member states with the lowest prices for mobile data with an average price of 71 US cents for 1GB, according to worldwide mobile data pricing published by Cable.co.uk.

The East African Community, the second-largest economy with 29.1 million internet users as of June in 2022, as per latest Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) statistics, ranks the seventh in Africa and 50th in the world for most affordable mobile data prices.

Out of 60 mobile data plans measured in the country, the lowest price observed was 36 US cents per 1GB for a 30 days plan. In the most expensive plan, 1GB cost 10.72 US dollars.

The analysis by the leading price comparison site shows that Kenya, with 23.35 million internet users by January 2022, has the second lowest mobile data price in the EAC region with one gigabyte of data costing 84 US cents.

Kenya’s internet penetration rate stood at 42.0 per cent of the total population at the start of 2022.

Tanzania and Kenya are the only countries in the East African Community region where an average price for 1GB is below one US dollar.

This is the third year in a row that Tanzania is leading other EAC member states with the lowest prices of mobile internet data.

In 2020 the price for 1GB averaged 73 US cents, followed by Kenya (1.05 US dollars), Rwanda (1.48 US dollars), Uganda (1.62 US dollars), DR Congo (1.94 US dollars) and Burundi (2.12 US dollars).

In 2021 the average price had slightly increased to 75 US cents but remained the lowest in the region. Rwanda had the second lowest price (1.25 US dollars), Uganda (1.56 US dollars), Burundi (2.10 US dollars), Kenya (2.25 US dollars) and DR Congo (2.88 US dollars).

DR Congo ranks third in the EAC region where 1GB costs one US dollar. There were 16.50 million internet users in the DRC in January 2022. The DRC’s internet penetration rate stood at 17.6 per cent of the total population according to datareportal.com

It is followed by Rwanda one gigabyte costs 1.1 US dollar, Uganda 1.3 US dollar, Burundi 1.8 US dollar and South Sudan 2.5 US dollars, the analysis shows.

Key players in telecoms sector in Tanzania

The key players in the telecoms sector are seven operational mobile network operators led by Vodacom with a market share of 31 per cent by June 2022, according to the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) statistics.

Tigo and Airtel rank second with a market share of 27 per cent each, Halotel 12 per cent, and TTCL, three per cent.

There are also two fixed line operators – Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation (TTC), formerly known as Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL) and Zantel.

According to the findings, sub-Saharan Africa has just five countries among the top 50 cheapest in the world – Ghana, in 40th place overall, is cheapest in the region at 61 US cents.

The region also has five out of the ten most expensive countries in the world, with Saint Helena the most expensive in the world (41.06 US dollars), joined by São Tomé and Príncipe (29.49 US dollars), Botswana (15.55 US dollars), Togo (12.94 US dollars) and Seychelles (12.66 US dollars) at the bottom of the table.

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