By Business Insider Reporter
Tanzania’s ambition to become East Africa’s next digital powerhouse received a major boost this week following the appointment of Jorge Rodriguez as Chief Executive Officer of Athena Core Technologies, the company leading the development of East Africa’s digital backbone.
The appointment is seen as a pivotal step in accelerating Tanzania’s connectivity, data infrastructure, and digital transformation agenda, as Athena expands its investments in subsea cables, carrier-neutral data centres, and nationwide fibre networks.
A game-changer for digital future
Headquartered in Dar es Salaam, Athena Core Technologies plays a central role in connecting Tanzania to the global internet ecosystem through subsea capacity and nationwide fibre expansion.
Under Rodriguez’s leadership, the company aims to strengthen Tanzania’s position as a regional digital hub, offering reliable, low-latency connectivity that supports cloud services, fintech innovation, and smart government systems.
“Jorge’s appointment comes at a defining moment for Tanzania’s digital growth,” said Zahir Mulla, Executive Chair of Athena. “His global experience and operational expertise will help us deliver on our mission to make Tanzania the anchor of East Africa’s resilient, cloud-first economy.”
Bringing global expertise to local impact
Rodriguez brings over 30 years of international telecom and technology experience, having served as CEO within América Móvil, including Telmex USA, Claro Enterprise Solutions, and HITSS USA, and later at Sorenson Communications, where he was named Transformational CEO of the Year by TITAN.
In his first statement as CEO, Rodriguez outlined a vision that resonates strongly with Tanzania’s national digital priorities.
“Athena’s mission is exactly what East Africa – and Tanzania in particular – needs: modern, carrier-neutral data infrastructure that brings the cloud closer to users and powers inclusive economic growth,” he said.
“We want to help Tanzania digitize faster and smarter, creating jobs, improving access, and driving innovation across every sector.”
Strategic impact for Tanzania
Athena’s expansion is expected to have far-reaching benefits for Tanzania’s economy and digital transformation goals, complementing government initiatives under the Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology.
