Tigo has announced new investment to improve both network availability and quality across Tanzania in order to enhance customer experience on data and voice services.
Tigo’s Chief Technical and Information Officer (CTIO) Jérôme Albou told the media at the telco’s headquarters in Dar es Salaam recentlly that: “Tigo invested over US $100 million in the major network evolution project designed at improving network quality in order to achieve the best customer experience. The initiative has resulted to growth of data subscribers and data throughput over one year”.
(TOP: Jérôme Albou, CTIO, Tigo Tanzania).
Jérôme explained that one of Tigo’s key strategic objectives is to transform broadband customers experience by providing seamless and a high performing network as per industry standards in both 3G and 4G technologies.
For the last three years, Tigo has managed to grow its subscriber base to more than 10 million hence becoming the second network operator in Tanzania. “As we continue to grow, network expansion and modernization with the latest equipment is mandatory for quality services provisioning. From last year 2016, we have made massive expansion of our infrastructure to increase the coverage footprint and capacity and most importantly, the quality of experience for mobile broadband service,” Jérôme said.
The demand for data services is growing due to availability of smartphones. In recognition of this, the telco is proactively expanding its 3G and 4G network in both rural and semi-urban areas of the country to enrich customers experience with the network as well as consolidating coverage and capacity in urban areas.
The CTIO further explained, “As far as mobile broadband is concerned, Tigo has added new 535 sites with 3G technology, upgraded capacity on 4,08 of 3G sites and 95 new sites with 4G technology over the past year, and has modernized and expanded the existing 2G, 3G and 4G networks. We have now 4G coverage in all the major cities and towns across Tanzania. To further improve experience of customers we have also added the Cache Servers in the core network to make frequently accessed internet contents such as Google, Youtube, Android, Facebook, Whatsapp or Instagram readily available in Tanzania in a single click”.
Conversely, Tigo had made substantial investment in stabilizing its network by managing technology, power and infrastructure more efficiently focusing on customer experience. “The past 12 months, we have commissioned a total of 2,294km of backbone fibre which traverses through 22 new District headquarters expanding the existing National ICT Backbone footprint. (Bagamoyo, Chalinze, Handeni, Korogwe, Muheza, Lushoto, Same, Mwanga, Rombo, Hai, Arumeru, Kibaha, Mvomero, Kongwa, Bahi, Manyoni, Tabora, Nzega, Kahama, Shinyanga, Kwimba & Chamwino) as well as increasing the number of fiber points around the key cities. This allows us to provide high speed internet in these new districts.” Also, this new fiber ensures alternative transmission routes in case of fiber cuts and hence provide seamless services around the clock for the key cities such as Mwanza, Dodoma, Arusha, Morogoro and Tanga, he added.
The network improvement is done based on customer surveys, economic activities, penetration of data enabled devices and feedback from other stakeholders such as Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) and the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications. Tigo is committed to continue to improve its network to achieve the best customer satisfaction and customer experience on both data and voice.
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