Tanzania Internet Penetration Reach 50% in March 2021, Data Traffic Up by 25%

Tanzania Internet Users Penetration March 2021

The latest telecoms statistics for Q3 2020 published by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) show that estimated internet users reached 29,071,817 in March 2021.

This represents a yearly increase of +8.3% from 26,832,089 estimated internet users in March 2020.

With a population of 58.01 million (WB data 2019), Tanzania has reached an internet service penetration of 50% vs 46% in 2019 (TCRA data).

The Data Traffic in March 2021 totaled 117 billion MBs vs 93 billion MB in December 2020 (+25.8%) and 91 billion MB in September 2020.

Internet in Tanzania

More than 90% of Tanzanians access the internet through their mobile phones.

Although mobile data prices are reasonably low, they remain unaffordable for segments of the population that mostly reside in rural areas, resulting in a large gap in Internet use between urban and rural areas.

British technology research firm Cable estimates the average cost of one mobile gigabyte (1GB) in Tanzania to be USD 0.75, making the country the 32nd cheapest in the world, and the cheapest in East Africa.

However, consumer taxes represent a significant share (32%) of the cost of mobile services. This is higher than the average share of consumer taxes in Sub-Saharan Africa (22%).

Want to know more about Telecoms in Tanzania? Our free Tanzania Business and Investment Guide 2026 covers Telecoms, plus regulations, key sectors, and investment opportunities—all in one place.

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