Rising Mobile Subscriptions in Tanzania, but Gender Gap Persists
Tanzania’s telecommunications sector has seen a significant increase in mobile subscriptions during the quarter ending September 2025, according to the latest report from the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA). However, the data reveals an ongoing gender gap, with male users showing a slightly higher growth rate than their female counterparts.
The report indicates that the country now has 99.3 million active telecommunications subscriptions, which equates to a penetration rate of 145.7 percent. This reflects a continued expansion of mobile access across the nation, driven by increased investment and technological advancements.
Growth in Male and Female Subscriptions
During the quarter, male subscriptions rose to 50,457,144, up from 47,109,356 in the previous quarter. This represents an increase of 3,347,788 subscriptions, or a 7.1 percent growth. Meanwhile, female subscriptions also saw a similar increase, rising to 47,708,505 from 44,543,087, an addition of 3,165,418 subscriptions, also equivalent to a 7.1 percent growth.
Despite both genders experiencing substantial growth, men continue to outnumber women in terms of mobile subscriptions. This disparity highlights a persistent digital gender divide, particularly in mobile access and technology use.
Regional Subscription Trends
Dar es Salaam remains the region with the highest number of active subscriptions, at 18.28 million. Other major cities include Mwanza with 6.58 million subscriptions, Arusha with 5.98 million, Mbeya with 5.71 million, and Dodoma with 5.30 million.
Dr. Jabir Bakari, the Director General of TCRA, emphasized that the growth in subscriptions reflects the resilience of the sector and its crucial role in advancing Tanzania’s digital economy. He noted that the sector has continued to show notable growth, underscoring its importance in socio-economic development.
“The communications sector continued to record notable growth during the quarter ending September 2025, underscoring its vital role in socio-economic development. The sector remained resilient and adaptive, reflecting increased investment, innovation, and consumer uptake across telecommunications, broadcasting, and postal and courier services,” the report stated.
Dr. Bakari also called for continued efforts to bridge the gender gap in technology access, emphasizing that the results reaffirm strong momentum towards a more connected, inclusive, and digitally empowered Tanzania.
Expansion of Broadband and Internet Services
The report also highlighted sustained increases in mobile money usage, data consumption, and internet subscriptions. These trends are driven by expanding broadband infrastructure and wider adoption of smart devices.
Mobile subscriptions grew by 7.1 percent, while voice traffic increased by 9.5 percent. Data usage saw the most significant rise, growing by 16.6 percent compared to the previous quarter.
The rollout of 4G networks and the continued deployment of 5G have strengthened national connectivity, positioning Tanzania for greater participation in the digital economy. Internet subscriptions also increased by 4.1 percent, reaching 56.3 million. Broadband population coverage expanded to 94.2 percent for 4G and 28.9 percent for 5G.
Improvements in Mobile Money and Service Quality
Mobile money platforms have played a key role in promoting financial inclusion. Additionally, improvements in service quality reflect operators’ ongoing efforts to meet regulatory standards and customer expectations.