Technician ensures seamles network connectivity in a data server.
As Zanzibar looks to bolster its economic prospects, the role of digital infrastructure in driving growth and development cannot be overstated. The Zanzibar Communication Authority (ZICTIA) has been at the forefront of this transformation, implementing several initiatives that have significantly enhanced the archipelago’s digital landscape.
In the financial year that ended June 2025, ZICTIA’s efforts have yielded impressive results, positioning the island as a hub for digital innovation and economic activity. One of the Corporation’s most notable achievements is the expansion of its national fiber optic backbone.
Over the past five years, ZICTIA has expanded its fiber optic coverage from 300 kilometers in 2020 to 1,500 kilometers in 2025, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 38.0% across both Pemba and Unguja.
This expansion has not only enhanced service reliability but also increased Zanzibar’s investment appeal, accelerating knowledge-driven sectors and laying a future-ready foundation for innovations such as e-learning, e-health, cloud platforms, and smart-city solutions.
ZICTIA has successfully upgraded its core data center infrastructure in Zanzibar, enhancing network reliability, data storage capacity, and cyber security to meet the growing demands of public and private sector clients.
The modernization introduces high performance servers, scalable storage solutions, and advanced network management systems, enabling faster, more reliable, and secure digital services across the archipelago.
Specifically, the upgrade increased data storage capacity by 800%, from 5 Terabytes to 45 Terabytes. Additionally, the enhanced cyber security measures now block an average of 5,000 cyber threats per day, ensuring robust protection for critical digital services.
This strategic upgrade positions ZICTIA as a key driver of Zanzibar’s digital transformation, supporting e-government initiatives, cloud based applications, and the expansion of high quality ICT services for businesses and institutions.
The Fiber-to-the-Tower (FTTT) Project, commissioned by YAS and executed by ZICTIA, is another significant milestone in the Corporation’s efforts to drive digital transformation.
The project has linked 136 towers with 139 kilometers of fiber across Unguja and Pemba, providing a high-capacity backbone for 4G, 5G, IoT, and future smart-city innovations.
This has enabled reliable high-speed broadband for businesses and institutions, with mobile broadband penetration soaring to 92.2% for 3G, 90.7% for 4G, and 23% for 5G by March 2025, up from 86%, 79%, and 13% just a year earlier. These advances put Zanzibar on the verge of nationwide digital inclusion, fueling economic growth, innovation, and resilience—while cementing ZICTIA’s role as the islands’ undisputed digital backbone.
ZICTIA’s strategic extension of high-capacity fiber optic infrastructure to the Micheweni Free Economic Zone in Pemba is another example of the Corporation’s commitment to driving economic growth.
The zone, which covers 808.8 hectares with 547.4 ha designated for industrial activities and 261.4 ha for residential development, is now equipped with modern infrastructure, including tarmac roads, electricity, water, and fiber connectivity. This upgrade has enhanced operational efficiency, reduced barriers to market entry, and strengthened investor confidence, positioning the island as a future-ready hub for knowledge-based and high-value industries.
In addition to these initiatives, ZICTIA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, has deployed 176.60 kilometers of high-capacity fiber to connect 100 education centers, including schools, teacher training colleges, and innovation hubs, across Unguja and Pemba directly to the national fiber network.
This rollout, completed in just ten months at a cost of $1.5 million, has given over 50,000 students and educators access to reliable, high-speed internet and digital learning platforms.
By integrating all centers with ZICTIA’s central data hub, the network enables seamless access to online curricula and virtual classrooms, modernizing education delivery and positioning ZICTIA as a strategic enabler of Zanzibar’s socio-economic growth and long-term digital transformation agenda.
The upgrade of ZICTIA’s fiber network equipment is another significant achievement, boosting capacity from 100 Gbps to 400 Gbps, a 4x increase designed to meet the growing demand for faster and more reliable digital services.
Technician checking fiber optic in internet splitter box. Fiber to the home equipment. FTTH Internet fiber cables and cabinets.
This enhanced infrastructure can support additional users streaming high-definition video simultaneously without service interruptions, delivering smoother video calls, faster downloads, and more resilient connectivity for both businesses and households.
Early performance metrics show a 35% reduction in peak-hour congestion, delivering smoother video calls, faster downloads, and more resilient connectivity for both businesses and households.
Furthermore, ZICTIA has upgraded the Amaan Complex’s digital infrastructure by introducing high-speed public Wi-Fi for the first time. With an investment of $113,000, the network supports regional and international events.
During the recent Zanzibar International Sports Festival, the Wi-Fi served over 5,000 unique users, with a peak of 200 concurrent connections, transferring around 4.5 Gigabits of data.
Users enjoyed average speeds of 35 mbps to 100 Mbps, enhancing both visitor experience and operational efficiency while reinforcing Zanzibar’s position as a modern, event-ready destination.
Zanzibar’s upcoming ICT projects, spearheaded by ZICTIA, represent a combined investment exceeding $411 million (over TSh 1 trillion), underscoring the islands’ commitment to building a resilient, future-ready digital economy.
Each initiative carries measurable targets that together create a strong, data-driven roadmap for transformation. The Infrastructure Master Plan, launched in July 2025 with a $1.32 million budget, will be completed within 16 weeks and provide the strategic framework for integrating AI, IoT, and cloud computing into public service delivery.
Complementing this is the Disaster Recovery Site (DRS) in Pemba, a $5 million facility designed to safeguard operations of more than 50 government agencies, with recovery benchmarks of under 4 hours RTO and 15 minutes RPO, ensuring minimal disruption to critical digital services.
At a larger scale, the Tier-3 data center represents a $75 million investment, supporting 200 server racks with 2MW power capacity and N+1 redundancy, guaranteeing less than 8 hours downtime annually.
ZICTIA has sucessfully upgraded its core data center infrastructures in Zanzibar, enhancing network realibility, data storage capacity and cyber security.
Parallel to this, the International Telecommunication Gateway (ITG), budgeted at $80 million, will deliver an initial 2 Tbps bandwidth, projected to cut wholesale internet costs by 25–40%. With TSh 30.09 billion already allocated, this project is set to provide Zanzibar’s first redundant international route.
The expansion of public Wi-Fi is expected to serve over 500,000 residents and 50,000 daily visitors, covering airports, markets, and tourist hubs.
Finally, the flagship $250 million Zanzibar Cyber City in Fumba is projected to attract $150 million foreign investment within five years, host 50+ tech companies, and create 10,000 jobs by 2035.
Together, these initiatives not only enhance resilience and affordability but also establish Zanzibar as a competitive regional hub for digital services, innovation, and sustainable economic growth.
Mass Communication & PR Strategists (PR, Creative Content Design & Media Management)
