This East African country has an expanding mobile communications industry. Cellular providers have become a major source of change. In 2026, Vodacom, Yas (formerly Tigo), Airtel, and Halotel are the four largest Tanzania mobile networks. In this article, we will compare their network capacities, prices, and services, and review international eSIM providers like Ohayu to see which connectivity options have better features and price-quality ratio for citizens and travelers.
Tanzanian mobile market overview
The communications sector experienced a real boom in 2025. According to the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), in December 2025, the total number of subscribers reached 106.9M. This is 7.7% more than the 99.3 million reported in September 2025.
For comparison, the subscriber count went up from 51.3M in 2020 to 106.9M in 2025. This is more than twice as many as five years earlier. Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, has the highest number of subscribers – 17.07M. The next biggest cities are Mwanza (6.14M) and Arusha (5.58M).
Coverage and network performance
Tanzania’s mobile networks are deploying 5G. Now, 5G is accessible to more than 30% of the country’s population. The 4G population coverage is more than 92%.
In Speedtest Global Index, January 2026, Tanzania was ranked 94th globally, with an average download speed 34.19 Mbps. At the same time, the upload speed is 12.18 Mbps. The delay is 25 milliseconds.
Here’s a comparison table for February 2026 to illustrate the difference.
| Place | Country | Median mobile download speed |
| 6 | Brazil | 264.39 Mbps |
| 7 | South Korea | 252.97 Mbps |
| 10 | United States | 209.17 Mbps |
| 13 | Denmark | 189.00 Mbps |
| 14 | Netherlands | 175.98 Mbps |
| 26 | France | 151.91 Mbps |
| 42 | Australia | 121.01 Mbps |
| 59 | Germany | 75.88 Mbps |
| 80 | Nigeria | 46.77 Mbps |
| 94 | Tanzania | 34.19 Mbps |
eSIM in Tanzania
eSIM technology is a digital alternative to a physical SIM card, used all over Africa and the world. It allows users to activate mobile data plans online without putting the card into a phone.
The mobile carriers in Tanzania that support customer eSIM include Vodacom Tanzania, Airtel, and Yas. They allow users to transfer phone numbers to eSIMs or get a new number instead. Halotel does not sell travel eSIMs directly to customers at the moment.
International eSIM providers like Ohayu use custom agreements with local operators to provide data-only eSIM packages for travelers. It allows users to connect to local Tanzanian networks and get full-speed mobile internet without going to physical stores or choosing a specific carrier. In phone settings, users see the exact network to which they are connected; currently, it can be Zain/Celtel or Vodacom.
Other eSIM benefits are as follows.
- Choose the amount of data and the plan duration (15, 30, or 90 days), install and activate it online to avoid home operator roaming charges.
- Keep a home number for messengers, and get mobile internet via an eSIM (no need to swap plastic cards).
- Travel to multiple destinations with a Global plan.
Before buying an eSIM, make sure your iPhone or Android phone is compatible by using the on-site check or entering *#06# with your smartphone (this is not a call – it’s a device request that displays identifiers; you won’t be charged) to see the EID number. If you see an EID, your device is compatible.
Top 4 Tanzania mobile networks
Vodacom Tanzania Limited, Yas (ex Tigo), Airtel, and Halotel hold most of the subscribers in Tanzania. The only other operator that has its own licensed network is a state-owned company, TTCL (Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation Limited). Its market share is extremely low compared to the top-4 providers; that’s why, in this article, we won’t give it a detailed overview. Any other providers you might see, e.g., Amotel, are MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) – they don’t own radio infrastructure and use networks of TTCL and the top-4 networks.
Let’s now take a closer look at the major networks, their coverage maps, plans, and prices.
Vodacom
It’s one of the largest mobile networks in Tanzania. It gives 3G and 4G in all major cities and even in remote areas like national parks (e.g., Serengeti National Park has partial 4G coverage). It was the first to introduce 5G technology in September 2020. The company is also already using 5G in some cities, including Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. In February 2025, we tested the provider network in these cities and were able to download files at more than 30 Mbps speed.
According to their annual report, as of March 2025, Vodacom has 370 5G sites and 3,275 4G and 3 554 3G sites in the country.
The carrier offers lots of different packages. Some only include data, while others only include calls and SMS. Prices also depend on how long one stays in the country: a day, a week, or a month. For example, you can get:
- a 1-day package for $0.20 (500TZS, Tanzanian shillings) and gives you 246 MB of data;
- a monthly package of 4,096 MB is available for $4.05 (10,000TZS);
- a weekly plan that costs $1.21 (3,000TZS) and includes 460 minutes and 50 messages;
- a bundle offering 10 GB, 1280 minutes of talk time, and 500 messages for $12.15 per month (30,000TZS).
Vodacom won five awards at the 2024 Tanzania Digital Awards.
Yas
The carrier was most recently called Tigo and changed its name in 2024. It was part of a strategy to unify all its brands in Africa under the same name. Now it only uses a single brand in countries such as Madagascar, Comoros, Senegal, and Togo.
The operator has an extensive 4G network, and launched a 5G network in cooperation with Ericsson in 2023. They are also investing in network extension to ensure rural areas have internet.
The operator has 3 main pricing plans.
- Combo: 400 minutes of calls, 3.5 GB of data, and 50 messages cost $4.05 per month. A cheaper weekly subscription for $0.40 gives 350MB, 40 minutes, and 10 texts.
- Internet-only: 246MB per day for $0.20 or 4.8 GB per month for $4.05. Or, if you need more, a large package for 24 GB is valid for 60 days and costs $20.24.
- Voice+SMS: 24-hour packs that give 100 min and 25 texts for $0.20, and weekly plans with 450 min and 50 messages for $1.21. A subscriber can also choose a monthly tariff with 1,200 min and 100 texts for $4.05.
If you only need texts, there are special packages, i.e., daily Chat One and monthly Xtra Chat Plus.
Airtel
The third-biggest mobile carrier in Tanzania has over 20M subscribers. The company was among the first to provide GPRS (mobile Internet) services. It supports 3G, 4G, and 5G connectivity (in Dar es Salaam and Arusha) and is building wider infrastructure.
Here are some examples of internet packages.
- Daily: 492 MB for $0.40 (1,000TZS).
- Weekly: 1,480 MB for $1.21 (3,000TZS).
- Monthly. 4,920 MB for $4.05 (10,000TZS) or 14,780 MB for $12.15 (30,000TZS).
- 60 days: 24,600 MB for $20.24 (50,000TZS).
Combined bundles:
- A 7-day pack offers 350 MB + 40 minutes + 10 texts for $0.40.
- A 30-day plan includes 3,600 MB, 400 minutes, and 10 messages for $4.05.
Also, the One Network option has local tariffs around East Africa and covers Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Uganda, Zambia, and other Eastern African countries.
Halotel
Halotel, owned by the Vietnamese company Viettel, started operating in 2015. The company was the first to get permission to install its own fiber optic cable. Thanks to this, they built more than 18,000 km of fiber infrastructure. It covered all 26 regions.
Halotel offers the lowest price per GB compared to other companies. Here are some examples:
- Data-only: 170 MB per day for $0.14, 4.9 GB per week for $4.05, or 24.6 GB per month for $20.24. There are special night deals and discounts for students.
- All-Net: 180 min and 150 texts for $0.61 per week. Or, for a bit more, you can make 1600-min calls to any network and 1600-min calls to other networks, as well as send 150 texts, for only $4.05 a month.
Meanwhile, there are packages for those who only need calls or texts.
Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNOs)
Tanzania has only one licensed MVNO. It is Amotel. It got its licence in 2015 and operates on TTCL infrastructure. The MVNO aims to provide internet access in rural areas and help to bridge the digital gap between cities and the countryside.
Tanzania mobile networks – detailed comparison
The competition in the mobile market is very fierce. Due to that, operators keep very similar prices for voice and data packages. Let’s compare the four biggest players by market share, speed, and reliability.
Market share
The official statistics report by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) indicates that Vodacom is the leader in the market with 32.1% market share. Yas has 28.1%, and it ranks second. Airtel is in third place with 22.4% market share. The share of Halotel customers is 15.6%.
At the end of 2025, the distribution of subscribers was as follows:
- Vodacom: 29,77M;
- Yas: 26,05M;
- Airtel: 20,79M;
- Halotel: 14,44M.
These statistics indicate that the market is very competitive.
Download and upload speeds
As the Ookla Speedtest Awards report demonstrates, Yas (which was named Tigo at the time of testing) has become one of the best performers in 2024. Yas has the fastest download speed, 68.81 Mbps. It is almost twice as fast as others, i.e., Vodacom 42.29 Mbps, Airtel 27.64 Mbps, Halotel 21,40 Mbps. The winner also demonstrates the highest upload speed at 16.80 Mbps.
The report also contains data regarding some cities. Tigo in Dar es Salaam has an average download speed of 56.27 Mbps. The carrier is also the best in Zanzibar with a 65.76 Mbps download speed. This is very quick compared to others.
Final thoughts
To sum up, Tanzania mobile operators are improving all the time, and each one has its own strong points. Yas is a leader in internet performance. Vodacom has the largest market share and the widest coverage. Halotel boasts the lowest prices per GB.
Also, there is a travel eSIM alternative that lets tourists stay connected without buying a local SIM card, without submitting passport details, or undergoing biometric registration (photo and fingerprint scan). Companies like Ohayu offer affordable data-only plans for travelers that are installed by scanning a QR code and activated after arrival. This means users can access the Internet via eSIM and keep their home number for calls and messages.
