Celtel Tanzania

Celtel Tanzania

Celtel Tanzania Limited is the largest telecommunications company in Tanzania by coverage area and the second-largest telecommunications company in Tanzania after Vodacom Tanzania based on total wireless customers, with about 1.7 million users (26 percent market share) by August 2007.

The company is the part of Celtel International, the pan African mobile network operator and the largest mobile service provider in Africa outside of South Africa. Celtel Tanzania is the pioneer and part of the "One Network", the world's first borderless network across East Africa.

Celtel Tanzania was the first telecom company to launch General Packet Radio Service/Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (GPRS/EDGE) service in Tanzanian Market on April 3, 2006. In 2007, Celtel Tanzania was awarded the "Most Respected Company Award in the Information Communication Technology" (ICT) category in Tanzania in the Nation Media Group-cum-PricewaterhouseCoopers Survey for Most Respected Companies in East Africa.

Since October 2004, Celtel Tanzania has been the only mobile operator that provides cellular services in many regions of the country. The company has been focusing on connecting rural areas while offers its services in Tanzanian shillings (TSH). It was claimed that Celtel Tanzania planned to complete country coverage in three years time. Celtel Tanzania consistently increases its subscriber each year since its commenced operations in 2001.

The company was found in November 2001 and was the fifth entrant into a highly competitive cellular market in Tanzania. Over the last couple of years, Celtel Tanzania has grown to become the network coverage leader in the country and it has the widest roaming coverage amongst all mobile operators in the country. Celtel Tanzania has its headquarters in Celtel House, Dar Es Salaam.

On August 1, 2008, Celtel rebranded all of its African operations under the Zain name.