How TCRA Improves Telecommunication Sector

Telecommunication industry has been growing fast in the last fifteen years, leading to the growth of economy.

A milestone in telecommunication liberalization was achieved by the establishment of the telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) in 2003. TCRA is an autonomous government agency established by the Act No. 12 of 2003 as an independent authority for regulating and licensing of postal, broadcasting and electronic communications in the country.


This Act led to the merging of the Tanzania Communications Commission (TCC ), with the then Tanzania Broadcasting Commission (TBC) to form TCRA. According to the Director General of TCRA Prof John Nkoma, the establishment of TCRA marked a new era for the communications sector in Tanzania that has been characterized by growing in investments and operations.

"TCRA is mandated to promote effective competition and electronic efficiency, protect consumer interests, grant and enforce licence conditions, regulate tariffs and monitor performance," he says.

Prof Nkoma adds that TCRA has been given mandate to create awareness and understanding of the regulated sectors such as the rights and obligations of consumers and regulated suppliers, the way in which complaints and disputes may be initiated and resolved, the duties, functions and activities of the authority and taking into account the need to protect and preserve the environment.

TCRA's vision is to be a world-class communications regulator creating a level playing field among communication service providers and promoting environmentally friendly,accessible and affordable services to consumers.

The mission statement of the authority is to develop an effective and efficient communications regulatory framework, promote efficiency among the communications services providers and protect consumer interests with an objective of contributing to socio-economic and technological development in the United Republic of Tanzania.

Telecommunication sector has grown from a single telephone company to seven to date, with a total sub-scriber base of 20,000,000 as of June 2010 compared to 230,000 that were in 1993.

Apart from the growth in subscriber base, the penetration has also been demonstrated by the combined efforts between the government and other stakeholders including TCRA to continue facilitation in opening up tele-centres.

The number rose from 6 in 2006 to 14 in December 2010, of which, 8 were facilitated by

TCRA and 2 by the ministry responsible for communications. Further achievements were also realized through increased number of data and internet services providers from 25 in May 2006 to 68 in December 2010.


The growth has been tremendous from a single radio station, no television on Tanzania Mainland to 67 radio stations and 38 television stations now. The post sub-sector now boasts of 55 courier and 82 sub-post services companies from just a single one. This sub-sector also has been a significant transformation by allowing the private sector participate in courier business bringing in new opportunities and various methods of doing business.

Prof Nkoma notes that under TCRA, the number of licensed telecommunications operators increased from 5 in 2003 to 62 in 2009. Most of these were issued under the Convergence Licensing Framework (CLF) which the TCRA effected in 2006. The penetration of Information Communication Technology in Tanzania is demonstrated by the phenomenon increase in teledensity (number of line per 100 persons) from 15% in May 2006 to 50% in December 2010.

As far as communication liberalization in the country is concerned, Prof Nkoma elaborated that, the fixed line subscriber base has been eroded by the mobile market, while fixed line subscriber number increased from 151,644 in 2005 to 174,511 in 2009. The number of mobile cellular increased from 5.6 million to 20.9 million.

There are two fixed line operators (TTCL and Zantel), while there are seven mobile operators (Airtel, Tigo, Vodacom, Sasatel, Zantel and TTCL). He also said that, although the government has embrased government as a major driving force behind efficient and effective transactions in government departments, there are big challenges posed by the demand for requisite infrastructure, policies, capacity development, ICT applications and content development in the national language, Kiswahili.

With all these developments he said that, it was inevitable to revisit the TCRA Act No 12 of 2003 and amend areas that were outdated, repeal the Broadcasting Services Act of 1993 and

Telecommunications Act of 1997; then formed one comprehensive legislation, passed by the Parliament in January 2010, assented by the President in April 2010 and operationalised on 18th June 2010.

This is known as Electronic and Postal Communications Act (EPOCA ), which takes an account all the contemporary technological and business developments in order to achieve the intended goals in the ICT policy framework. He further explained that, the new Act composed amendments and new areas, issues that were carried forth with amendments include licensing, interconnection and access, postal communications, content regulation, anti-competitive practices and content numbering resources and technical standards.

New areas include, postal code, new physical address system, digital broadcasting, central equipment identification register (CEIR) and SIM registration. There are also general sections covering environment, offences and penalties, miscellaneous provisions, traditional provisions, regulatory forbearance and consequential amendments.


The electronic and postal communications Act (EPOCA) has come just in time as an important instrument for the much needed and awaited efficient regulatory environment, he added. On his part, Minister for Communication, Science and Technology, Prof Makame M. Mbarawa said that, his ministry has given a warrant to make sure that information and communication technology contribute fully to the national development.

He explained that, apart from this responsibility, the ministry has also given a mandate to supervise institutions, co-operations, commissions and companies that contribute to the ministry's efforts towards achieving its goals as well as public expectations.

Addressing members of the Parliament when presenting his ministry's budget for the 2011/12 financial year in Dodoma on June 2011, Prof Mbarawa mentioned those institutions as Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT), Mbeya Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Nelson Mandela- Arusha Institute of Science and Technology (AIST) and Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TAEC).

Others are National Communication for Science and Technology (NCST), Tanzania Posts Corporation (TPC), Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation Limited (TTCL), Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) and Universal Communications Access Fund (UCAF). He explained that the government will continue to implement a national communication backbone project which started on February 2009.

The first phase of the project has already been completed and the services are being provided. The first phase covered a total of 4,300 km in sixteen regions including Dar es Salaam, Coast, Morogoro, Iringa, Mbeya, Dodoma and Singida. Others are Arusha, Manyara, Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Shinyanga, Tabora, Mwanza, Mara and Kagera regions. The second phase of implementation of the project has already started and is expected to be completed within 18 months (up to March 2012).

Officiating at a two-day workshop on the theme "towards secure and sustainable communication sector," a Principal Secretary, Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology, Dr Florens Turuka welcomed the opportunities from all the world specialized entities and governments that will facilitate establishment of a competent national Computer Emergency Response Centre (CERT).


He listed areas that require attention in the Tanzanian fully liberalized communication market as proper choice standards when the country migrates from analogue to digital broadcasting; competition over site and consumers ability to freely change operators without changing their phone numbers and appropriate coding of streets and houses.

The objective of the workshop was to share and discuss essential aspects and developments in the country's dynamic communication sector and other areas of importance to the sector nationally and internationally. There have been a number of other significant achievements in the information and communication sector in Tanzania, apart from the growing Internet connectivity and establishment of the Internet service exchange points (IXPs) in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Dodoma.

Alongside IXPs is the establishment of the Tanzania Network Information Centre to manage the country's code top level domain (dot-tzccTLD). All these efforts address the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) commitments.