Satellite Internet in Tanzania

Satellite Internet Access Service

Tanzania is a very large country situated in the Great Lakes region of Africa. The country features stunning landscapes and also the very highest and lowest points in the whole of Africa from 352 metres above sea level to a huge 5,895 metres to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. With densely forested mountains, great lakes, waterfalls and national parks with great biodiversity, it is easy to see why Tanzania has become a very popular tourist destination.

Big Opportunities in a Big Country

Over half of the Tanzanian workforce is engaged in agriculture with crops such as maize, sweet potatoes, beans, bananas, tea coffee and sugar most popular. Although the country is still very heavily dependent upon agriculture, the government of Tanzania has managed to diversify the economy to include the development of the mining, telecom and banking sectors. The government also realises the importance of connectivity and has promoted healthy competition in its telecoms market which has encouraged investment and has increased the amount of MNOs in the country to eight. Very few Tanzanians have fixed lines and there is a very heavy reliance upon MNOs to deliver Internet via cellular services. At present, mobile penetration in Tanzania stands at 83%. There is access to 3G, 4G and LTE services. Despite a fibre optic cable network, it seems that this dependence upon mobile broadband will continue to be the trend as Tanzania moves into the future. In 2016, 5.3% of the Tanzanian population was using the Internet. Access to the Internet for the general population needs a boost so that more people can enjoy the range of benefits that high-speed Internet brings with it and so that the development of the digital economy can move forward.

Tanzania has much to gain from digital inclusion. With so much of the population engaged in farming, the Internet can catalyse access to invaluable tools and services that can enhance people’s standard of living. M-Banking is becoming increasingly popular in Tanzania, enabling people to manage their money much more effectively, to get sound financial advice on how they can invest what they have or to borrow small amounts to help them to develop their farming techniques and small businesses.

VSAT Solutions for Tanzania

With such reliance upon MNOs, Tanzania’s mobile Internet infrastructure can be helped enormously through the use of VSAT networks that offer cellular backhaul services. With a VSAT service delivered by BusinessCom Networks, rural areas of Tanzania can quickly and cost-effectively enjoy digital inclusion. With no requirement for the costly construction of cellular towers, MNOs can expand their customer base with the minimum fuss and communities can reap the benefits of Internet and voice connectivity.

BusinessCom can provide a turnkey solution that is fully managed for any rural community in Tanzania. This operates as a traditional GSM service, compatible with any phone and can provide the essential services that the Tanzanian people need – healthcare, e-governance, online education and much, much more. BusinessCom is committed to making Internet access easy and cost-effective on a universal scale offering a solution to MNOs that can offer fast Return on Investment, the ability to tap into new regions of Tanzania and to open up a wealth of opportunities for the rural Tanzanian population.