HiTS becomes seventh telco in Tanzania

[Kang]

Tanzanian telecoms group Excellentcom, trading as HiTS Tanzania, has signed a USD180 million contract with China’s Huawei Technologies for the supply of a nationwide network that should carpet the country within 13 months. Dar es Salaam-based newspaper The Citizen quotes HiTS Tanzania chief executive Gerhard May as saying ‘We are determined to undertake the fastest rollout plan in East Africa's mobile communication history’. HiTS is looking to roll out a network with capacity for an initial two million customers, he said. HiTS Tanzania is 65%-owned by HiTS Africa, the African telecoms investment arm of the Kuwait-based HiTS Telecom Holding KSC, and local investor Jitco and Excelsys hold the remainder (35%).

The newcomer says it was awarded licences for national network facilities, national network services and national application services from the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) in September 2007. It hopes to provide a range of voice and data services based on wireless communication technologies and plans to invest USD500 million over five years, creating 500 jobs in the process. HiTS Tanzania is the seventh firm to enter the country's mobile/wireless telecoms market. It will compete with Vodacom Tanzania, Celtel Tanzania, Tigo, Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited, Zantel and Benson Informatics Online (BOL).

HiTS Africa is also rolling out mobile networks in a number of other African markets using GSM technology and has licences in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea, as well a share of Atlantic Telecom in Liberia. Although the Tanzanian mobile market currently numbers eight million users, around four-fifths of the population do not own a mobile phone. HiTS Tanzanian believes the market will grow to between 15 and 18 million users by 2015 and wants to secure a 15% market share in the medium term.

More competition!!!

 

[Kapinga]

Usijidanganye mweshimiwa..bongo hakuna competition yoyote! real competition exists when the consumer benefits tremendeously..7th mobile company lakini watu bado tunalipa prices za ajabu for airtime and sms..hapa TCRA bado hawajui wanafanya nini...they are confusing these monthly promotions to competition..makampuni kibao lakini simu za mikononi bado expensive to use, internet bado expensive, tax exemptions kwa haya makampuni pale pale...nchi zingine kampuni mbili tuu lakini competition ya ukweli inaonekana..bongo kwakweli inaumiza kichwa!!

siasa nyingi mimi nadhani TCRA wakiona mobile phone companies zinaajiri watanzania basi wanaona wamefanya kazi..sio kazi yenu mambo ya ajira na siasa...nyie regulate the telecoms...we want cheaper rates from vodacom to hits, we want transparency on the use of shared facilities, pia tutaka kujua nini kinaimaliza TTCL, or else we will have 20 mobile companies na bado tutakuwa tunacomplain.

 

[Kang]

I don't think that's totally true, I mean would we really have the 1Tsh per sec and the Extreme SMS prices without competition? There is room for improvement, but i think the situation has greatly improved.