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MIC Tanzania Limited (tiGO)
Encyclopedia
MIC Tanzania Limited is the oldest wireless
Telecommunications company
in Tanzania
with 13.6% market share in the country. MIC Tanzania Limited ( tiGO ) was formerly known as Mobitel when it started to offer mobile telecommunication
services in Tanzania
, it was then known as Buzz when the company started to use GSM network in 2001. Since 2006 the mobile phone company
is commonly referred to as tiGO in the aftermath of the full control taken by Millicom International Cellular
to the company
The mobile company was the first licensed operator in the Tanzanian cellular
market. tiGO, which at the time known as Mobitel was partially state owned launched the first analogue
ETACS
network in Dar es Salaam
in 1994 and on Zanzibar
the following year. tiGO introduced its GSM services in August 2001. As at December 31, 2006, tiGO's GSM network was consisting of 501 base stations with the capacity to handle a maximum of 740,000 concurrent subscribers, and covered about 50% of the total population in Tanzania.
was a joint venture between Millicom International Cellular
based in Luxembourg
, Ultimate Communications Limited of Tanzania and Tanzania Posts and Telecommunications Corporation. In this venture
27.7% of the issued share capital
were alloted to the Ultimate Communications Limited and Tanzania Posts and Telecommunications Corporation.
In 1993, there was liberalization of telecommunication
sector in the country which result into dissolution of Tanzania Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (TPTC) in early 1994. Its shares ware then transferred to Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited
. Further steps towards full liberalization of the market causes the privatization
of TTCL on February 23, 2001 and its shares were transferred to the Tanzanian Government.
-based pan-African mobile operator Millicom International Cellular
announced to take a full control of three of its African-based Mobile operators including MIC Tanzania limited.
In Tanzania
a USD 1.332 million
deal enables Millicom
to acquire the remaining 16% stake
it did not already own after the cellco’s minority shareholders agreed to cancel their call option on the business
. Since then Millicom
is the full controller of the company.
. In this way tiGO becomes more competitive in the telecommunications industry
within the country.
Many customers have been complaining about this service and asking tiGO to remove it. Some claims that the service is unbearable as it is difficult to make even an emergency call at nights.
Technically, the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) claims that, offering free services during that period causes communication
jams
merely because of low capacity of the tiGO’s network. In the aftermath, tiGO was considered to cheat its customers through media advertisements and TCRA warned tiGO against this service and proceeded by announcing that ’’Operators who cheat customers that they offer free services, but don’t do so will face punishment .
Free night calls for Tigo customers is the service also offered by tiGO Ghana.
Wireless
Wireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications...
Telecommunications company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
with 13.6% market share in the country. MIC Tanzania Limited ( tiGO ) was formerly known as Mobitel when it started to offer mobile telecommunication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
services in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, it was then known as Buzz when the company started to use GSM network in 2001. Since 2006 the mobile phone company
Mobile network operator
A mobile network operator , also known as mobile phone operator , carrier service provider , wireless service provider, wireless carrier, or cellular company, or mobile network carrier is a telephone company that provides services for mobile phone subscribers.One essential...
is commonly referred to as tiGO in the aftermath of the full control taken by Millicom International Cellular
Millicom
Millicom International Cellular, also known as Tigo, is a mobile phone network provider in America and Africa. Based in Luxembourg, the company provides mobile services in 14 countries. With operations across Central America, South America, South-east Asia, and Africa, using GSM, CDMA and TDMA on...
to the company
The mobile company was the first licensed operator in the Tanzanian cellular
Cellular
Cellular may refer to:*Cellular automaton, a model in discrete mathematics*Cellular , a 2004 movie*Cellular frequencies, assigned to networks operating in cellular RF bands*Cellular manufacturing...
market. tiGO, which at the time known as Mobitel was partially state owned launched the first analogue
Analog signal
An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
ETACS
Total Access Communication System
Total Access Communication System and ETACS are mostly-obsolete variants of AMPS which were used in some European countries . TACS was also used in Japan under the name Japanese Total Access Communication . It was also used in Hong Kong...
network in Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
in 1994 and on Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
the following year. tiGO introduced its GSM services in August 2001. As at December 31, 2006, tiGO's GSM network was consisting of 501 base stations with the capacity to handle a maximum of 740,000 concurrent subscribers, and covered about 50% of the total population in Tanzania.
History
MIC Tanzania Limited (tiGO) was found on November 30, 1993. This corporationCorporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
was a joint venture between Millicom International Cellular
Millicom
Millicom International Cellular, also known as Tigo, is a mobile phone network provider in America and Africa. Based in Luxembourg, the company provides mobile services in 14 countries. With operations across Central America, South America, South-east Asia, and Africa, using GSM, CDMA and TDMA on...
based in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, Ultimate Communications Limited of Tanzania and Tanzania Posts and Telecommunications Corporation. In this venture
Venture
Venture may refer to:* VENTURE NOTC, the Canadian Naval Officer Training Centre based in CFB Esquimalt, British ColumbiaIn automobiles:* Chevrolet Venture, a General Motors Corporation minivan.* VentureOne, a concept car by Venture Vehicles...
27.7% of the issued share capital
Share capital
Share capital or issued capital or capital stock refers to the portion of a company's equity that has been obtained by trading stock to a shareholder for cash or an equivalent item of capital value...
were alloted to the Ultimate Communications Limited and Tanzania Posts and Telecommunications Corporation.
In 1993, there was liberalization of telecommunication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
sector in the country which result into dissolution of Tanzania Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (TPTC) in early 1994. Its shares ware then transferred to Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited
Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited
Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited is the oldest and largest fixed line telecommunications company in Tanzania. The company comes forth from the former Tanzania Posts and Telecommunications Corporation in 1993...
. Further steps towards full liberalization of the market causes the privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
of TTCL on February 23, 2001 and its shares were transferred to the Tanzanian Government.
Millicom Takes Full Control Over MIC Tanzania (tiGO)
In February 2006, after buying out its minority shareholders, the LuxembourgLuxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
-based pan-African mobile operator Millicom International Cellular
Millicom
Millicom International Cellular, also known as Tigo, is a mobile phone network provider in America and Africa. Based in Luxembourg, the company provides mobile services in 14 countries. With operations across Central America, South America, South-east Asia, and Africa, using GSM, CDMA and TDMA on...
announced to take a full control of three of its African-based Mobile operators including MIC Tanzania limited.
In Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
a USD 1.332 million
Million
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
deal enables Millicom
Millicom
Millicom International Cellular, also known as Tigo, is a mobile phone network provider in America and Africa. Based in Luxembourg, the company provides mobile services in 14 countries. With operations across Central America, South America, South-east Asia, and Africa, using GSM, CDMA and TDMA on...
to acquire the remaining 16% stake
Stake
Stake may refer to:* @stake, a computer services company* Equity stake, a share or interest in a business or investment* "Stake", a tent peg* Stake -Military:* Sudis , a fortification carried by Roman legionaries...
it did not already own after the cellco’s minority shareholders agreed to cancel their call option on the business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
. Since then Millicom
Millicom
Millicom International Cellular, also known as Tigo, is a mobile phone network provider in America and Africa. Based in Luxembourg, the company provides mobile services in 14 countries. With operations across Central America, South America, South-east Asia, and Africa, using GSM, CDMA and TDMA on...
is the full controller of the company.
Free night calls for tiGO customers
Since it was referred to as Buzz, tiGO has been offering free night calls for quite a long time. Due to this service tiGO attracts the interest of many students in TanzaniaTanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. In this way tiGO becomes more competitive in the telecommunications industry
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
within the country.
Many customers have been complaining about this service and asking tiGO to remove it. Some claims that the service is unbearable as it is difficult to make even an emergency call at nights.
Technically, the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) claims that, offering free services during that period causes communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
jams
Jams
Jams is a line of clothing produced by Jams World. Jams shorts, a popular clothing item in the 1960s and 1980s, were closely associated with the surf scenes in California and Hawaii.-History:...
merely because of low capacity of the tiGO’s network. In the aftermath, tiGO was considered to cheat its customers through media advertisements and TCRA warned tiGO against this service and proceeded by announcing that ’’Operators who cheat customers that they offer free services, but don’t do so will face punishment .
Free night calls for Tigo customers is the service also offered by tiGO Ghana.
Other Telecom Companies In Tanzania
| Network Operator | Any Fixed line/Cable service? | Technology Deployed | Any Plan for Wimax? | Company strategies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTCL | Yes - copper Cables Copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish... ; leased line Leased line A leased line is a service contract between a provider and a customer, whereby the provider agrees to deliver a symmetric telecommunications line connecting two or more locations in exchange for a monthly rent . It is sometimes known as a 'Private Circuit' or 'Data Line' in the UK or as CDN in Italy... s; basic POTS Plain old telephone service Plain old telephone service is the voice-grade telephone service that remains the basic form of residential and small business service connection to the telephone network in many parts of the world.... ; ADSL; SDSL SDSL SDSL may refer to:*Symmetric digital subscriber line*Site-directed spin labeling... . |
Mobile & Fixed Wireless Wireless Wireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications... : CDMA (3G 3G 3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union... ) Coverage area: At first major cities, later to cover the whole country |
Yes | Major strategy: voice access and backbone provision. National and international calling; Internet Internet The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide... access, International gateway Gateway (telecommunications) In telecommunications, the term gateway has the following meaning:*In a communications network, a network node equipped for interfacing with another network that uses different protocols.... license; video Video Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :... on demand in the future? |
| Celtel Tanzania Celtel Tanzania Celtel Tanzania Limited is the largest telecommunications company in Tanzania by coverage area and the second-largest telecommunications company in Tanzania after Vodacom Tanzania based on total wireless customers, with about 1.7 million users by August 2007.The company is the part of Celtel... |
No | GSM 900/1800/400; GPRS, EDGE Edge - Aviation :* Leading edge, a line connecting the forward-most points of a wing's profile* Trailing edge, the rear edge of the wing* Zivko Edge 540, an aerobatic aircraft- Mathematics, science and technology :... |
Not indicated | Mainly voice; carrier of carriers |
| MIC Tanzania Limited (tiGO) MIC Tanzania Limited (tiGO) MIC Tanzania Limited is the oldest wireless Telecommunications company in Tanzania with 13.6% market share in the country. MIC Tanzania Limited was formerly known as Mobitel when it started to offer mobile telecommunication services in Tanzania, it was then known as Buzz when the... |
No | GSM 900/1800, plans for 3G | Yes, currently doing initial steps – no frequency Frequency Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency... application yet |
Mainly voice |
| Vodacom Tanzania Vodacom Tanzania Vodacom Tanzania Limited is Tanzania's leading cellular network company. As of May 18, 2010, Vodacom Tanzania had over eight million customers and became the largest wireless telecommunications network in Tanzania... |
No | GSM 900/1800, plans for 3G 3G 3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union... rollout by 2007 (frequency allocated) |
Yes – spectrum Spectrum A spectrum is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. The word saw its first scientific use within the field of optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light when separated using a prism; it has since been applied by... guaranteed by regulator for 3.5 GHz. Targeting data transfer for corporate sector - major cites |
Basic voice services; data transfer |
| ZanTel | No | GSM 900/1800 – planning for 3G 3G 3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union... CDMA – Dar Es Salaam Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ... , Zanzibar Zanzibar Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba... , Pemba National roaming agreement with Vodacom on the mainland Mainland Mainland is a name given to a large landmass in a region , or to the largest of a group of islands in an archipelago. Sometimes its residents are called "Mainlanders"... |
Yes | Voice; access to the international gateway Gateway (telecommunications) In telecommunications, the term gateway has the following meaning:*In a communications network, a network node equipped for interfacing with another network that uses different protocols.... |
See also
- Celtel TanzaniaCeltel TanzaniaCeltel Tanzania Limited is the largest telecommunications company in Tanzania by coverage area and the second-largest telecommunications company in Tanzania after Vodacom Tanzania based on total wireless customers, with about 1.7 million users by August 2007.The company is the part of Celtel...
- Vodacom TanzaniaVodacom TanzaniaVodacom Tanzania Limited is Tanzania's leading cellular network company. As of May 18, 2010, Vodacom Tanzania had over eight million customers and became the largest wireless telecommunications network in Tanzania...
- VodacomVodacomVodacom is a pan-African mobile telecommunications company, and was the 1st cellular network in South Africa. It provides GSM service to more than 35 million customers in South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Revenue for the year ended 31 March 2008...
- 3G Technology3G3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
- Tanzania Telecommunications Company LimitedTanzania Telecommunications Company LimitedTanzania Telecommunications Company Limited is the oldest and largest fixed line telecommunications company in Tanzania. The company comes forth from the former Tanzania Posts and Telecommunications Corporation in 1993...
- Celtel International CeltelCeltel was a telecommunications company that operated in several African countries. It was founded by Sudanese-born Mo Ibrahim.-History:Originally known as "MSI Cellular Investments", the company began operating in 1998...
- Celtel Africa ChallengeCeltel Africa ChallengeZain Africa Challenge is a televised academic competition for students of African universities, sponsored by Zain. Prior to the acquisition of MTC, Celtel's parent company, the competition was known as the Celtel Africa Challenge. The programme was an extension of Celtel’s corporate social...