Mobile operator Tigo Tanzania and telecoms multinational Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) have entered a partnership to launch 5G and to fully modernize and expand the existing 4G network across Tanzania.
5G is now launched in Dar Es Salaam, Dodoma, and Zanzibar and will be gradually rolled out across the country at strategic locations.
Ericsson is also upgrading Tigo Tanzania’s existing 4G network with Radio Access Network (RAN) products and microwave solutions (MINI-LINK 6000).
Ericsson will also optimize Tigo Tanzania’s network by deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled Cognitive Software to evaluate future network demands through active monitoring and predictive forecasting, and meet increasingly critical performance demands while improving the user experience.
Ericsson will also collect, decommission, transport and recycle Tigo Tanzania’s dismantled and obsolete equipment with the highest industrial standards, to minimize the potential environmental impact of the end-of-life electrical equipment.
Kamal Okba, Chief Executive Officer at Tigo Tanzania, said: “We have witnessed outstanding progress so far; the performance of the network has been elevated, and the customer experience has been greatly enhanced by the modernization and expansion of the existing 4G network and the launch of 5G in Dar Es Salaam, Dodoma, and Zanzibar. Tigo Tanzania and Ericsson are working to roll out the service to other regions and the rest of the country. This is a major milestone for the nation and the African continent where we are committed to growing and expanding our reach in collaboration with our partner, Ericsson. Every improvement made to our network is a step in the right direction to support the Digital Tanzania Project and ensure the initiative realizes its goals to increase access to broadband internet services and improve the delivery of connected services.”
For her part, Nora Wahby, Vice President and Head of Customer Unit Morocco and West Africa at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said: “We are pleased to further strengthen our partnership with Tigo Tanzania and expand the existing network by launching 5G and deploying the Ericsson Cognitive Software. Ericsson’s latest capacity-boosting and energy-efficient products and solutions combined with AI-powered Optimization Services will bring new opportunities to Tigo Tanzania to further develop its offerings by leveraging the full power of 5G. Using all key advantages of leadership in new technologies from Ericsson will further expand the benefits of mobile technology to individuals and businesses alike, ushering a new era of connectivity in the country.”
Tanzania 5G
The first 5G network in Tanzania was launched in September 2022 by the country’s largest mobile operator Vodacom.
The service will be deployed at various sites in Dar es Salaam with a target to expand 5G coverage to approximately 230 locations in the country, including Arusha, Dodoma, Mwanza, Iringa, Kagera, Zanzibar, Mbeya and more.
