In a significant move, the governments of Tanzania and Uganda have come together to enhance their internet infrastructure. They’ve signed a deal worth $28.8 million (equivalent to 71.7 billion Tanzanian Shillings) to connect their National ICT Broadband Backbones. This partnership will last for 15 years and will be carried out by TTCL Corporation and Uganda’s National Information Technology Authority (NITA-U).
The signing ceremony featured TTCL Director General Peter Ulanga, NITA Executive Director Dr. Hatwib Mugasa, Tanzanian Minister for Information, Communication, and Information Technology Nape Nnauye, and Ugandan Minister for ICT and National Guidance Dr. Chris Baryomunsi.
Minister Nape expressed his belief that this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would encourage the use of ICT between the two nations. He emphasized that it would not only strengthen the friendship between Tanzania and Uganda but also promote trade and economic growth.
This agreement is a result of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s recent visit to Uganda, where she agreed with President Yoweri Museveni to combine their ICT backbones for improved internet services. Minister Nape urged TTCL to ensure quality service delivery and called for no complaints related to access.
Uganda’s decision to utilize Tanzania’s National ICT backbone was praised by Minister Nape, who highlighted that Tanzania has successfully convinced other East African Community partner states, including Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, and now Uganda, to connect to NICTBB. Moreover, Tanzania has extended its reach to the Southern Africa Development Community, including Malawi, Zambia, and parts of Mozambique.
The Ugandan Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, shared that both countries have a shared vision of connectivity. This partnership is expected to reduce business costs in Uganda by 50%, creating employment opportunities for its citizens. It’s also seen as a significant achievement for the East African region, with plans to connect other countries such as South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
TTCL Director General Eng. Peter Ulanga emphasized that NICTBB’s presence in the East African region has been instrumental in driving developmental reforms in various sectors, including economics, commerce, social welfare, and security. He assured that TTCL would professionally manage and operate this infrastructure for the benefit of both countries and their neighbors.
Notably, NICTBB is connected to submarine cables via SEACOM and EASSY, enabling Uganda to strengthen its global communication links. Eng. Ulanga also extended an invitation to NITA-U and the Ugandan government to utilize the National Internet Data Centre (NIDC) for storing data at a Tier 3 quality and level.
