Under a 403 million USD loan from the Government of China, Tanzania will soon commence the third construction phase of the National ICT Broadband Backbone (NICTBB) that will see the nation’s districts connected and seal the communication gap in the country.
Deputy Minister for Communications, Science and Technology; January Makamba has said “We signed a 403 million dollar loan when the President of China toured Tanzania two months ago. We will spend the money on construction of the National ICT Broadband Backbone. We will thus be able to connect the whole country including all district councils,” he said.
The project will also implement the internet as a normal part of secondary schooling and internet exposure and usage will penetrate several generations.
“We have also started connecting schools to the internet under a project known as TZ 21st. Mtwara primary schools have already been connected and we are continuing with other regions” Makamba said.
The ICT Backbone will increase communication speed in Tanzania and has also registered a 57% decline in mobile phone expenses while the broader connection is reaping the reward as the country continues to improve its overall internet service.
