Tanzania raises $20 million from maiden wireless spectrum auction

Tanzania has raised $20 million from a local subsidiary of South Africa's Vodacom Group and another telecoms firm in the country's first broadband spectrum auction that will help operators meet growing demand for high-speed networks. Like elsewhere on the continent, mobile phone use has surged in the East African nation over the past decade, driven by the launch of cheaper smartphones and data services.
Market leader Vodacom Tanzania and a newcomer in Tanzania's fast-growing communications sector, Azam Telecom (T) Limited, were picked as winners of the spectrum auction in the 700 MHz band. "Vodacom Tanzania Plc acquired 2 x 10 MHz for a total price of $10.005 million and Azam Telecom (T) Ltd acquired 2 x 10 MHz for a total price of $10 million. The total auction proceeds is $20.005 million," the state-run Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) said in a statement on Saturday.