Machi 2021 Namba Ya Usajili: 00000115 ISSN: 0856-8030
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Free Copy ISSN: 0856 -8030 | ISSUE NO. 1/2021 January - March 2021 Quarterly magazine of the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority Magufuli’s vision for a digital Tanzania SPECIAL EDITION Streamlining Service Bundles Muarobaini wa kero vifurushi vya simu Coordinating Online Safety The Tanzania Computer Emergency Response Team (TZ-CERT) is a team responsible for coordinating responses to cyber security incidents at the national level. It cooperates with regional and international bodies involved in the management of cyber security incidents. Our contacts TZ-CERT was established under section 124 of the Electronic and Postal Communications Act Mawasiliano Towers, 20 Sam Nujoma Road. (EPOCA) of 2010 and within the TCRA structure. P.O. Box 474. Postcode 14414, Our Vision: To be a globally trusted hub for handling Dar Es Salaam. cyber security incidents. Phone: +255 22 2199760-9 Ext: 3001. Our Mission: To improve and support the nation’s Fax:+255 22 2412009 / +255 22 2412010 cyber security posture, coordinate information sharing, and proactively manage cyber risk while Email: [email protected]. PGP Key id: DFEB96E8 enhancing the commitments of constituencies. PGP Fingerprint: 38FF 3F79 7E41 8D52 C43C Our Objective: To ensure a high and effective level 8C6E 3E53 6C17 DFEB 96E8 of network and information security within Tanzania and to develop a culture of network and information security for the benefit of the entire community (government, citizens, consumers, enterprises and public sector organizations); thus contributing to a smooth and safer functioning of on-line activities. COVER Registration No. 00000115 January - March 2021 The Regulator is published quarterly by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA). The Authority’s functions and duties include enhancing public knowledge, awareness and understanding of the regulated goods and services, and to disseminate information about matters relevant to its functions. TCRA, an independent Government agency established under the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority Act No. 12 of 2003 to regulate electronic and postal communications in Tanzania, has offices in Zanzibar and in five zones - Northern (Arusha), Lake (Mwanza), Central (Dodoma), Southern Highlands (Mbeya) and Eastern (Dar es COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Salaam). The new rules, on telecommunications service bundles, promotions and special offers address bundle categories, Editorial office and mailing address: duration, roll over of unused units and promotions. Mawasiliano Towers, 20 Sam Nujoma Road, P. O. Box 474, Postcode 14414 Dar es Salaam. Tel: +255 784558270, +255 784558271. Email: Email: [email protected]. CONTENTS 2 | Letter from the Editor 3 | From the Director General’s desk 4 | PAPU Day Supplement 10 | Streamlining telecom service bundles 13 | Consumers upbeat on bundle service conditions 17 | Rules to protect consumers, sustain industry growth 18 | Magufuli’s vision for a digital Tanzania 20 | Old and new technologies displayed as sector ministers visit TCRA 22 | Africa’s five years of digital transformation 23 | Tanzania for local smartphone production 24 | Optimizing smartphone use 25 | TCRA’s consumer protection framework 27 | KISWAHILI SECTION 1 |January - March 2021 Letter from the Editor The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Third Five-year Development Plan, and Elections Authority has addressed a major consumer complaint Manifesto of the ruling party - CCM. in the communications sector - service bundles- by There are plans to expand the national ICT formulating rules to manage their provision. backbone to the district level by 2025 and increase TCRA consulted widely and openly with its broadband coverage and internet users to 80 percent. stakeholders and circulated a questionnaire A Broadband Strategy will be formulated. with structured and semi-structured questions. Plans to make internet-enabled devices readily After analyzing feedback from more than 3,200 available, and affordable, include the promotion of respondents the Authority drafted rules on service local manufacturing of ICT equipment. TCRA, has bundles, promotions, and special offers. This edition invited and received expressions of interest for the covers the process and presents the new rules. construction of a smartphone assembling factory in We also have a supplement on the Pan African Postal Mwanza Day which was marked on 18th January 2021, with Three recent reports on the state of communications statements by the Minister for Communications in Africa project a major transformation for the and Information, PAPU Secretary-General, TCRA content by 2025, with smartphones driving its great Director-General, and the Tanzania Postmaster digital leap forward. We have summarized reports by General respectively. the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) There is a piece on the new five-year strategic plan of – the UN specialized agency for ICT and GSMA – the Ministry of Communications and Information the global group representing the interests of mobile Technology which is based on national development industry players on internet connectivity, mobile blueprints including Development Vision 2025, the payments, and digital solutions respectively. EDITORIAL BOARD Chairman/ Editor Members Dr. Emmanuel Manasseh Dr. Philip Filikunjombe Mr. Rolf Kibaja Production Editor Eng. Gabriel Mruma Mr. Erasmo Mbilinyi Mr. Isaac Mruma Editor/Coordinator Ms. Thuwayba Hussein Mr. Thadayo Ringo Mr. Semu Mwakyanjala Call for articles The Editor invites articles and other contributions, Contributions should be submitted to the Editor, including comments in all areas of electronic Regulator Magazine, Tanzania Communications and postal communications and related fields. Regulatory Authority, Mawasiliano Towers, 20 Sam Contributors are invited to submit full-length Nujoma Road, P.O. Box 474, Postcode 14414 Dar es articles, including figures and pictures. Photographs Salaam. Email: [email protected] should be in JPEG format. For more information please contact the Editor on: [email protected]. The material should be in font size 12, single-spaced, up to four A4 pages. Articles must be original and We pay a reasonable honorarium for published should have references, where sources are quoted. contributions. Disclaimer: TCRA’s positioning statement as a Regulator is to maintain a level playing field. The mention or appearance of the logos or symbols of specific licensees in articles or photographs does not imply any preferences to others. From our he Regulator is distributed to the Authority’s stakeholders and subscribers. archives ElectronicT versions and past copies can be accessed on the TCRA website - www. tcra.go.tz. Navigate to ‘Publications and Statistics’, - scroll down to The Regulator. January - March 2021 | 2 Bundle rules premised From the Director on consultations General’s Desk feedback The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Director-General of the Tanzania Communications Authority has issued Rules on service bundles Regulatory Authority, Eng. James M. Kilaba offered by mobile network operators. The move follows an open and extensive consultation the Authority made with the public, service providers, to reach better outcomes for consumers who buy and consumers on bundle services. bundled products. The rules aim to sustain the industry growth and at the same time prevent unfair/ Based on the analysis of the feedback received, uncompetitive pricing strategies while protecting TCRA has identified issues that need to be and empowering consumers. addressed to improve the consumer’s experience, induce consumption of telecommunications They are also designed to enhance competition services, promote transparency in the billing, and in telecommunications while protecting and ensure value for money for the services subscribed. empowering consumers. They also aim to protect Some of the issues identified include automatic and help consumers make better choices of bundles renewals of one-time bundles, subscriptions that suit their needs. without consumer consent, and retention of customer information. They set out principles that telecom companies must adopt to better protect consumers who choose Enhancing transparency in bundled products bundled products. They ensure that consumers who has the potential of reaching better outcomes for buy bundled products are equally protected as those consumers buying bundled products. who use basic tariffs to buy individual services. In the context of competition, bundling of services The rules address, among other things, bundle validity without control may cause deterioration of Quality period, terms and conditions, as well as information of Service (QoS), and incentivize anti-competitive requirements on bundled products. They promote a behaviour, which includes service offerings below consistent framework for the treatment of bundled the cost of production. This has a detrimental effect products across all telecom operators to better protect on the relevant markets both in the short run and consumers who choose bundled products. long term. They promote transparency; simplicity, the need for The objective of the rules is to protect the consumer clear and understandable terms and conditions, and by enhancing transparency in bundled products consumer rights including to opt-out of a bundle. 3 |January - March 2021 Pan African Postal Union Day Postal resilience in crises January 18th is commemorated as the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) day. The Arusha-based specialized agency