‘Every Tanzanian’ to get mobile phone

This follows the announcement by mobile and internet services provider Viettel that it will ‘provide’ every Tanzanian with a mobile phone, and competitively-priced 2G and 3G services across the country.

“Viettel’s vision is to provide every Tanzanian with a mobile phone and bring communication and information technology to every corner of life of the country. Our entry into Tanzania reflects our belief that when telecommunications services are accessible to everyone, and become a part of everyday life, they can be a driving force contributing to socio-economic development for the country as a whole” Nguyen Manh Hung, General Director of Viettel Group, said at the launch of the Halotel brand name.

The launch in Tanzania reflects Viettel’s expansion in its tenth market and into the second biggest economy in East Africa, following the rollout of services in Burundi and Cameroon through Lumitel and Nexttel earlier this year, and in Mozambique through Movitel in 2014. According to the Viettel, through an initial investment of US$736 million, the company has managed to cover 1500 villages in 26 provinces in the country, and to create over 22,000 direct and indirect jobs.