National Information and Communications Technology Policy

Definitions of Data:

n/a

Main Focus of Document:

Notes measures and mechanisms that are in place to accelerate broadband penetration and access, strengthen ICT security and standardization, enhance management and efficient utilization of spectrum and other scarce ICT resources, promote the business process outsourcing industry, enhance innovation in e-service and promote local content development and hosting, strengthening national capacity in protection of cyberspace users

Target Beneficiaries or Sectors:

citizens, government

Key Elements:

The main objective of the Policy is to accelerate socio-economic development with potential to transform Tanzania into an ICT-driven middle-income economy and society.

Specific Objectives

1. To develop and enhance human capital that is capable of championing ICT in the creation of Tanzania’s knowledge society;
2. To enhance public participation and understanding of the potential of ICT support effective transformation towards a knowledge based society;
3. To strengthen strategic ICT leadership at all levels to effectively champion exploitation of ICT in all sectors of economy;
4. To enhance access and availability of affordable and reliable broadband services to accelerate socio-economic development of the society;
5. To have reliable, interoperable and sustainable ICT infrastructure that supports ubiquitous national connectivity;
6. To have universal access to ICT products and services in order to bridge the digital divide;
7. To strengthen management and promote efficiency in spectrum allocation and utilization that guarantees its availability and competition in both urban and rural areas;
8. To promote and strengthen management of scarce ICT resources for a sustainable ICT industry;
9. To enhance local content in all aspects of the ICT value chain and local hosting of electronic services;
10. To promote a competitive ITES/BPO industry and development of electronic services in all aspects of ICT value chain activities;
11. To strengthen cooperation and collaboration in regional and international ICT development initiatives that promote knowledge transfer and attract foreign direct investment;
12. To strengthen the legal and regulatory environment that facilitates acquisition, utilization and development of ICT in Tanzania;
13. To have secure environment that builds confidence and trust in the use of ICT products and services;
14. To promote safety in the use of ICT products and services;
15. To strengthen quality control and standardization in the ICT industry;
16. To have a sustainable ICT industry;
17. To promote effective use of ICT in the productive sectors for increased productivity;
18. To enhance participation of gender and social diversity groups in ICT;
19. To promote the use of ICT in disaster management;
20. To promote the use of ICT in environmental conservation;
21. To have Good Governance enhanced by ICT; and
22. To promote investment in ICT under PPP arrangement.

The government has promised to ensure the development of ICT. This is expected to be achieved through the following.

The Government shall:

1. Ensure a high level of ICT leadership to provide vision and guidance for effective development, deployment and exploitation of ICT for socio-economic advancement in the country.
2. Ensure availability of adequate funds equivalent to a reasonable proportional of GDP to promote ICT for full participation in the knowledge economy.

9. Ensure presence of an ICT professional recognition and development framework so as to have a human resource base in the country, which is ethical and capable of championing ICT initiatives towards the creation of a knowledge society.

3. Create supportive environment for collaboration with the private sector in development of a critical mass of ICT skills and expertise, while encouraging lifelong learning through the use of ICT.
4. Ensure effective use of ICT in teaching and learning throughout the formal and informal education system.
5. Ensure that ICT awareness is created among the public.
6. Embrace ICT as an integral part of national development and empower citizens to use it to fight poverty, ignorance and disease so as to improve the quality of their lives.
7. Ensure a conducive environment for collaboration between the public and private sectors in exploring various means of financing access to broadband services.
8. Ensure availability and accessibility of reliable and affordable broadband services countrywide.
9. Ensure a conducive environment for collaboration between the public and private sectors in exploring various means of financing ICT infrastructure.
10. Ensure safe and reliable ICT infrastructure developed countrywide.
11. Ensure e-ready infrastructure developed countrywide which supports the provision of ICT services.
12. Ensure availability of a supportive framework to guide the deployment of ICT infrastructure including right of way and sharing of such infrastructure.
13. Ensure availability of funds for supporting rural ICT investment; strengthen collaboration with service providers to participate in rural ICT investments.
14. Ensure access to ICT products and services for society.
15. Encourage financial institutions and development partners to give particular support for investments in rural ICT services.
16. Ensure availability of spectrum for various uses and allocation that favours public interest, promotes innovation, research and development, strengthens competition and attracts foreign direct investment.
17. Ensure allocation and assignment of commercial spectrum resources that is transparent, competitive, does not confer permanent ownership to users and that sees to it that the allocated resources are used efficiently for sustainable provision of affordable and quality ICT services.
18. Strengthen national capacity for the management of spectrum and enhance contributions to regional and international spectrum planning and harmonization in conformity with international standards.
19. Ensure a substantial amount of spectrum is dedicated to the government for bridging the digital divide that is necessary for e-service delivery specifically for rural areas.
20. Ensure ICT resources are allocated on a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory basis for effective competition and promotion of innovation.
21. Put in place measures to promote recognition and utilization of country codes in the cyber space to facilitate transformation towards a knowledge-based society;
22. Protect and preserve national symbols and heritage names against cybersquatting.
23. Be a model user of ICT to improve efficiency in service delivery, reduce waste, enhance planning, raise the quality of services and access to global resources.
24. Strengthen institutions responsible for coordinating, providing oversight, regulating, promoting and enforcing e-government and other e-services initiatives.
25. Create an enabling environment that nurtures the promotion and development of ITES/BPO ventures in partnership with the public and private sectors.

9. Ensure a conducive environment to enhance hosting of ICT systems locally and localization of internally generated traffic.

26. Create an enabling environment that nurtures the development and promotion of local content in ICT products and services in partnership with the public and private sectors.
27. Put in place an effective mechanism to promote the use of Kiswahili in electronic services for the transformation of Tanzania into knowledge society.
28. Ensure the presence of relevant laws and regulations for acquisition, development, adoption, use and disposal of ICT products and services in Tanzania.
29. Ensure that there is appropriate institutional capacity and supportive legal frameworks for the development of the ICT industry that promotes competition under the principle of technology and service neutrality.
30. Put in place legal mechanisms to facilitate development of the ICT industry and protection of intellectual rights.
31. Ensure there is an appropriate environment for adoption of relevant regional and international legal instruments to support cooperation in addressing ICT issues.
32. Promote and support R&D, innovation and entrepreneurship in ICTs.
33. Encourage local ICT development by supporting and providing incentives for innovations in software and hardware.
34. Create an enabling environment to attract investment in private sector financial and technical capabilities for the development of the ICT sector and industry.
35. Put in place the requisite mechanisms that encourage the use of renewable energy in ICT investments to promote green initiatives as a means of minimizing the impact of ICT on the environment.
36. Foster participation of Tanzanians in ICT investment.