On Sunday, Vodacom Tanzania announced a technology modernisation program worth over $100 million.
This initiative is one of the most significant infrastructure investments in the company’s history. As the company celebrates 25 years of service to the country and lays the groundwork for the next generation of growth, this historic initiative seeks to improve connectivity, improve service quality, and hasten digital inclusion in underserved rural communities and urban centres.
Thousands of networks to be upgraded
As part of this modernisation, thousands of network sites nationwide will be upgraded, along with state-of-the-art improvements to the IT infrastructure, such as the M-Pesa platform.
These enhancements will directly address the demands of the company’s expanding user base, which currently numbers in the tens of millions, by delivering faster data speeds, improved call quality, more reliable M-Pesa services, and increased cybersecurity.
“Our journey to Vision 2030 has officially begun,” said Philip Besiimire, Managing Director of Vodacom Tanzania.
“With this investment, we are laying the groundwork for the next five years and beyond, empowering people through better access, protecting the planet through greener technologies, and maintaining the trust of our customers, partners, and investors. Over 1000 network sites have been upgraded across the lake zone, southern highlands and parts of central Tanzania.”
Vodacom Tanzania’s Vision 2030 agenda
The modernisation program supports Vodacom Tanzania’s Vision 2030, prioritising people, the environment, and trust in all decisions.
Additionally, it aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Tanzania’s national digital transformation agenda.
Vodacom’s network modernisation will produce energy-efficient infrastructure that lowers power consumption by up to 30 per cent while enhancing network performance and coverage, keeping with its goal of becoming Net Zero by 2035.
This action guarantees that both urban and rural areas have high-quality digital access while reinforcing the company’s ESG commitments.
Vodacom Tanzania’s $100 million technology modernisation program to expand 4G coverage
“This upgrade involves the latest technology and will significantly expand 4G coverage, ensuring faster internet speeds and improved connectivity wherever Vodacom is available.
We are going greener with Huawei’s industry-leading ‘zero-bit-zero (0 bit 0) watt’ technology, an innovation that dramatically improves power efficiency while reducing carbon emissions, at the same time improving performance for both 4G and 5G.
Moreover, we are optimising tower space by introducing multi-band radio technology, which accommodates all spectrums in one radio as well as bringing on board multiple frequency bands in the same antennas,” added Andrew Lupembe, Vodacom’s Network Director.
Vodacom is intensifying its role as an enabler, boosting financial and digital inclusion, spurring innovation, and investing in infrastructure that links every Tanzanian to opportunity as the country’s digital economy expands.