'Involve ICT firms in policy formulation'

The Government has been urged to involve local companies dealing with information and communication technology (ICT), in the formulation of policies in order to enable the nation to benefit more, from various inventions in the field.

 

The call was made at the weekend by Chief Executive Officer of Raha Aashiq Shariff a registered trademark of Startel Tanzania Limited that deals with provision of digital services and digital tools during the launch of an underground fiber network across the Central Business District (CBD) of Dar es Salaam, which is quickly expanding beyond the city.

 

The CEO said, together with the good job that is being done by the government through the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA), still there is a lot that needs to be done for Tanzania to reap the benefit of ICT advancements.

 

“Social media, blogs, content platforms, clouds and the increasing integration and connectedness of daily processes to the internet have created a population of digital natives and nationals, who are no longer intimidated by the web, nor are they in need of being educated on how to use it,” he said.

 

Under such a situation, he said, it is of paramount importance that the policies are such that they allow brands and service providers to respect them as globally exposed, creative and tech-savvy individuals.

 

“With this comes a new way of looking at the world and engaging with its parts, so in recognition of this, we have challenged ourselves to evolve our brand, and as such we want Raha, the local company to be a mirror of Tanzania’s era of digital content and resonate on a global scale,” he said.

 

Commenting on some of the advantages of optic fiber technology they were launching, he said, the systems are less expensive in comparison with conventional technology systems like metal wires.

 

Mentioning an example, he said that kilometers of optical cable can be made cheaper than the equivalent lengths of copper wire, and that saves the provider, be it of cable television or internet and hence, it is cost effective.

 

“Another advantage is in the carrying capacity, that because optical fibers are thinner than copper wires, more fibers can be bundled into a given diameter cable, than copper wires et cetera,” he said.

 

Sharrif said, the launched service will provide unparalleled speed and reliability to all of its users, especially to consumers whose business and individual productivity relies on maximum efficiency.

 

Moreover, he invited telecommunication companies to utilise the new launched service, to improve the interconnectedness of their customers in various areas.