Five Tanzanian ICT companies receives licenses

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has issued five licenses to different companies to enable them offer Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions in the country. TCRA Director General Professor John Nkoma said recently in Dar es Salaam while presenting licenses during ICT week celebrations, that the country was doing everything possible to attract ICT companies invest in ICT related solutions.
There was need for companies to invest in the ICT sector to give people a wide choice of services. ”If we license more companies in different ICT related fields, there will be competition in the sector as well as reduction of costs and other related charges”, he said.
He insisted the country`s ICT Policy should address issues of curriculum development and syllabi for computer and ICT training courses at all levels of education.
He said that the government has opened up doors for private sector participation in the telecommunications sector development to facilitate adequate usage of ICT services.

Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) Director Genera Prof. John Nkoma speaks to the pressmen (not in the picture. Right is the National ICT coordinator, Engineer Augustus Kowero and left is a TCRA official.

”This is important to develop human capital if we have to effectively utilise the ICT services” he said. A representative of one of the companies which received license, Alan Paul, of Midas Services, underscored the need to strengthen public-private partnership to ensure inclusion of women, children, and other disadvantaged groups in ICT for development. According to him, his organization would provide banking services and point of sale services which are state-of-the-art services aimed at reducing the stress of carrying a lot of money when going shopping.
Chairman of the 2-mobile, one of the companies which received licenses, Joseph Rugumyamheto, commended the government for its demonstration of interest in the use of ICT services from the central government to the village level. He said that his company would provide multimedia services and voice over internet protocol.
Besides Midas services and 2-Mobile, other licensed companies include E-Life which will provide short massages for examination results, and Zanzibar Datacom, which will provide internet services. Others were E-click, licensed to provide video conferencing and voice over internet protocol.