More Tanzanians in underserved areas are set to gain access to reliable mobile and internet services after the government built 758 new telecommunications towers under the Digital Tanzania Project (DTP).
The project has also upgraded 304 existing towers from 2G to 3G and 4G, expanding connectivity in areas that previously struggled with unreliable communication services.
Officials said the investment is also helping the government move more public services online, potentially reducing the time and cost citizens spend travelling to access government services.
The developments were announced on Monday, September 14, 2026, during a stakeholders’ meeting on the Digital Tanzania Project, which is scheduled to officially end on October 31.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the meeting, the Director of Information and Communication Technology at the President’s Office, Public Service Management and Good Governance, Mr Priscus Kiwango, said the project had made significant progress in expanding the country’s digital infrastructure.
“The project has enabled the construction and improvement of communication infrastructure, including towers in rural areas that previously had unreliable communication services,” Mr Kiwango said.
The project started in 2021 with $150 million in financing from the World Bank to strengthen digital infrastructure, expand internet access and improve government service delivery through technology.
Mr Kiwango said residents in areas covered by the project could now access 3G and 4G services, while government institutions, including those at local government level, had been connected to various digital systems.
One of the systems supported by the project is the Public Employees Performance Management Information System (PEPMIS), which is used to assess the performance of public servants.
The project has also supported a government services information system that enables citizens to find information about available services, where they can access them, how long the services take and the applicable charges.
Digital Tanzania Project Coordinator Bakari Mwamgugu said the project had been implemented through three major areas: strengthening the digital ecosystem, expanding connectivity and developing the skills of public servants.
He said Tanzania's internet capacity had been increased by 60 gigabits per second (Gbps), with 40Gbps allocated to Mainland Tanzania and 20Gbps to Zanzibar.
The additional capacity, he said, had helped reduce internet costs for public institutions while improving their ability to deliver digital services.
The project has also established 32 One-Stop Service Centres in post office buildings, enabling citizens to access services from the National Identification Authority (NIDA), Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA), the Police Force and the Land Registry under one roof.
The approach could reduce the need for citizens to move between different government offices to obtain related services.
Mr Mwamgugu said about 500 public servants had been trained in modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, while 50 others had been sponsored for postgraduate studies in countries including India, Singapore, China, Estonia, Finland and Malaysia.
In Zanzibar, the project has supported the establishment of the Zanzibar Government Services Directory (ZGSD) and ZanPortal, alongside two One-Stop Service Centres at Posta Kijangwani in Unguja and Chakechake in Pemba.
Director of Communications and Infrastructure at the Ministry of Information, Communication and Innovation Zanzibar, Issa Bakari, said more than 90 percent of Zanzibar's population could now access mobile services ranging from 2G to 5G.
He said 63 towers had been constructed in Zanzibar under the project.
With the first phase nearing completion, Mr Bakari said the government had begun discussions with the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank on a possible second phase.
The proposed second phase would focus on completing unfinished areas and extending digital infrastructure to communities that remain underserved.
The expansion comes as Tanzania seeks to make digital connectivity a key part of public service delivery, with better network coverage expected to improve access to information, online government services and other digital opportunities, particularly for people living outside major urban centres.