The Zanzibar government plans to connect 100,000 households to high-speed internet within three years, a move it says will expand access to digital services and create more opportunities for businesses, young people and innovators.
President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, said the government would use Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) technology to extend reliable internet connections directly to households.
Dr Mwinyi announced the target on Tuesday while opening the Tech and AI Expo Zanzibar 2026 at Golden Tulip Airport Hotel, where he also launched the Zanzibar Digital Policy 2026.
The plan comes as internet access increasingly shapes how people access education, healthcare, financial services, markets and government services, making connectivity an important part of Zanzibar's wider economic transformation.
Dr Mwinyi said the government was also preparing an AI Strategy Framework to guide the safe and accountable use of artificial intelligence as adoption of the technology expands.
He said Zanzibar's digital transformation agenda would focus on strengthening infrastructure, expanding the use of technology in public services and economic activities, and creating a supportive environment for young people, innovators and investors.
The government's three-year connectivity target could also help narrow the digital divide by bringing faster and more reliable internet to households that remain outside existing high-speed networks.
At the event, Dr Mwinyi witnessed the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding between the Zanzibar Ministry of Information, Communications and Innovation and Huawei Technologies Tanzania Limited.
The agreement is expected to support cooperation in technology and digital transformation as Zanzibar seeks to strengthen its digital infrastructure.
The launch of the Zanzibar Digital Policy 2026 and preparations for an AI strategy framework signal a shift towards creating both the infrastructure and policy framework needed to support wider use of digital technologies.
For households, the key test will be whether the planned expansion translates into affordable, reliable internet access and practical digital services that can improve access to information, education and economic opportunities.