CDMA Network Launched in Tanzania

A new network has launched in Tanzania, as Dovetel started its CDMA network in Dar-es-Salaam. The network, branded as Sasatel will expand its network in several phases over the next few years. The company is 65% owned by PME African Infrastructure Opportunities, an investment company established to invest in sub-Saharan African infrastructure and infrastructure related industries.

Dovetel bundles its broadband offering with fixed voice services and offers limited mobility voice services to the low-end of the residential market in order to increase penetration beyond the traditional GSM target market for mobile voice.

In a recent statement, the company said: "The arrival of the international sub-sea fibre optic cables to the East coast of Africa this year is expected to accelerate the already rapidly growing broadband market in East Africa. Dovetel is well positioned to capitalise on this opportunity and is seeking to become the leading broadband provider in Tanzania."

ZTE is the supplier of the network infrastructure.

PME African Infrastructure Opportunities is also setting up a WiMAX network in Uganda and invested in the GSM network in Burundi being built by Econet Wireless.

The country already has five active mobile networks, and according to the Mobile World figures, Vodacom (42%) and Zain (30.4%) dominate the market, along with Tigo (19.7%). Zanzibar Telecom (8%) does not operate in the mainland. HiTS Tanzania has not launched yet, while CDMA operator, Benson Informatics has a negligible customer base.

On the web: Mobile World

Posted to the site on 23rd June 2009