By Business Insider Reporter
This October marked a major milestone for Halotel Tanzania, the mobile and internet operator under Viettel Group of Vietnam, as it celebrated 10 years of operations in Tanzania.
Over the past decade, the company has reshaped how Tanzanians communicate, transact, and access information – bridging distances, unlocking economic opportunities, and accelerating the country’s digital transformation.
A vision that became a nationwide network
When Halotel entered Tanzania in 2015, the company carried a bold mission: to extend mobile connectivity to every corner of the country. The vision was rooted in years of preparation – Viettel began investing in Tanzania as early as 2011, laying the groundwork for a network that would push the boundaries of coverage and affordability.
Halotel launched officially on October 15, 2015 as the first operator allowed to build its own fibre-optic infrastructure. That decision proved pivotal.
With a modern network beneath the ground and thousands of towers above it, Halotel quickly gave millions of Tanzanians reliable access to communication and digital services.
Fast growth, strong reach
Growth came swiftly. Within months of launching, Halotel reached one million subscribers – doubling the number in less than a year. By 2017, the customer base had grown to 3.8 million, and today, Halotel serves 16.5 million Tanzanians.
But the company’s greatest impact has been in rural and underserved areas.
Halotel invested heavily in expanding network coverage to communities that previously had little or no mobile service. The operator deployed 18,000 km of fibre and thousands of base stations, connecting 1,500 villages to mobile and internet services for the first time.
This expansion has improved access to education, commerce, health services, and social interaction – reduce digital inequality and giving rural communities a stronger voice in the national economy.
Enabling a digital, cash-lite economy
Halotel’s contribution extends far beyond voice and data. Through HaloPesa, its mobile money platform, the company has supported the growth of digital payments and small businesses.
Today, more Tanzanians can send money, make purchases, save, and manage transactions from their phones.
Halotel has also invested heavily in social-impact and corporate-giving initiatives designed to expand digital access and strengthen essential public services across the country. These efforts go beyond commercial operations and directly support national development priorities.
Free internet for 450 public schools, enabling students and teachers to access online learning materials, improve digital literacy, and participate more effectively in the modern education system.
Fibre-optic connectivity for 150 government committees, helping public institutions communicate faster, coordinate services, and deliver decisions with greater efficiency.
Dedicated network support for 150 hospitals, 150 police stations, and 65 post offices, improving access to medical information, enhancing security operations, and boosting service delivery in critical public facilities.
Together, these investments have strengthened Tanzania’s digital infrastructure, improved access to essential services, and expanded the country’s overall digital ecosystem – ensuring that communities in both urban and rural areas benefit from reliable connectivity and inclusive digital growth.
Recognition and innovation
Halotel’s achievements have earned global and local recognition. In 2017, it won the award for “Fastest-Growing Enterprise in the Middle East and Africa.”
At home, it is often praised as the most affordable and consumer-friendly telecom operator, known for competitive tariffs and strong internet performance.
In 2022, Halotel acquired additional spectrum (2600 MHz) to strengthen its 4G network. And this December, the company is gearing up to launch 5G services – opening the door to ultra-fast internet speeds for businesses, schools, hospitals, and individuals.
Powering Tanzania’s digital future
As Tanzania moves deeper into the digital age, Halotel’s role has become even more crucial. Its network has helped narrow the rural–urban digital divide, boosted mobile money adoption, enabled e-commerce, and supported remote learning and work.
Ten years on, Halotel remains committed to its founding mission: delivering reliable, affordable, and high-quality communication services to every Tanzanian – especially in the communities that were previously left behind. From an ambitious newcomer to a national telecom leader, Halotel’s story shows how vision, investment, and innovation can transform a country and empower millions of people through connectivity.
More Info: HaloPesa helps boost Tanzania’s cash-lite push
HaloPesa — the mobile-wallet service from Halotel Tanzania – is carving out a meaningful place in Tanzania’s fast-growing mobile-payments market as the country continues to record strong adoption of e-wallets.
Regulator TCRA’s latest communications data show mobile-money accounts in Tanzania rose to about 71.7 million by the quarter ending September 2025, reflecting continued momentum in digital payments.
Within that expanding market, HaloPesa is emerging as a notable player. Independent summaries of the TCRA data put HaloPesa’s market share at roughly 9–9.2 percent, making it one of the country’s top mobile-money providers after the market leaders.
Halotel’s payment service has also posted sizable activity metrics: by June 2025 HaloPesa had about 5.9 million active accounts and recorded over 42 million mobile-money transactions in the quarter – evidence that the service is being used regularly for person-to-person transfers, merchant payments and bill settlements.
HaloPesa’s strengths include simple USSD access for feature-phone users, an app for smartphone customers, and integration with Halotel’s growing rural network – positioning it to reach users who were previously excluded from digital financial services. As Tanzania’s payments ecosystem grows, HaloPesa appears set to deepen its role in enabling commerce, government payments and financial inclusion outside urban centres.
