By Correspondent

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) issued 38 new licenses for various categories and markets between July and September 2024, including six for services to accelerate the digital agenda, it has been learnt.

The TCRA Director General Dr. Jabiri Bakari says in the latest released quarterly communications status report that the new licenses include one each for Network Facilities and Network Services, four for Application Services, 15 for Content Services, and five for courier services.

According to Dr. Bakari, Network facilities licenses authorize service providers to construct, maintain and own communications facilities.  Network services are for using network facilities to provide services.

A service provider may use their own or others’ facilities. Application services include data services. Content licenses are for broadcasting.

He says TCRA also approved 184 electronic communications equipment for use in Tanzania. Regulations require that all communications equipment imported into Tanzania be type-approved by TCRA, which also licenses equipment importers and distributors.

TCRA had by September 2024, licensed 35 network facilities operators, 16 network service providers and 146 application services providers.

Other new licensees include one regional radio content operator, five district radios, two community radios, three national subscription televisions, one online radio, one online content aggregator and two weblogs.

Weblogs are websites that share their owners' or others’ experiences, observations, and opinions. Their content may include current news, events, journals, advertisements, images, video clips, and links to other websites.

Up to September 2024, TCRA licensed 246 radios, 33 free-to-air televisions, 63 cable televisions 29 subscription televisions, 210 online televisions, 10 online radios, and 66 web blogs.

It has also licensed 146 courier companies and one postal operator—the Tanzania Posts Corporation (TPC).

The courier companies are in six categories. These and the number of licenses in brackets are international courier services (6), East African courier services (2), Domestic courier services (47), Intracity courier services (16) and Intercity Transporters (74). 

The electronic and postal communications licensing regulations were amended in 2023 and now include four subcategories in Application and Content service licenses. There are provisions for electronic commerce, educational radios and televisions.

TCRA developed and introduced the four license categories in 2005, becoming the first country in Africa to develop and implement a converged licensing framework (CLF).

The CLF has accelerated the introduction, access and adoption of communications services. Tanzania is implementing a project to mainstream information and communications technologies (ICT) in all sectors of the economy, social services and governance.