Media & Communication
With distribution difficulties in rural area, this means that the influence of newspapers is limited to urban areas. Newspapers are printed in English and Swahili and are available in Dar es Salaam and other major towns. Most of them don't carry much international news but the local news can make for some interesting and lively reading.
The English newspapers are Daily News, Daily Guardian and The Citizen. The Kenyan newspapers, Daily Nation and East African offer more international news and are readily available in Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Mwanza.
A variety of international newspapers and magazines can be bought from street vendors in Dar es Salaam and Arusha.
Most of Tanzania, particularly in the rural areas, still receives most of its news via the radio in Kiswahili. These are at the most loudest, when the Tanzanian soccer team is being commentated on during an international soccer match!
There are five TV stations in Tanzania, of which TBC1 is the most popular broadcasting in Kiswahili - political propaganda, religious programs, interviews and Nigerian (Nollywood) movies. It's main competitor is ITV and they both carry newsfeeds from CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera. The other three stations are Channel Ten, Pulse Africa and TVZ.
Satellite Television is broadcasted to Tanzania by DSTV with up to 60 channels, ranging from Sky News to National Geographic and from up to date films to Bollywood movies.
Telephone calls can be made through Tanzania Telecommunications Company (TTCL) or through mobile phone companies. TTCL offers direct dial or calling cards, which can be used at public phone booths, and may be cheap by international standards but is not as efficient as the mobile phone network coverage. The country code for Tanzania is +255.
Most Tanzanians have mobile telephones as network coverage is excellent in and round towns, and sometimes extends as far as national parks and game reserves. Tanzania's three main mobile phone companies are Vodacom, Airtel and Zantel, where visitors can purchase starter packs, which includes a SIM card and airtime that can be topped up. Some international mobile phones will be locked and cannot accept a Tanzanian SIM card. In this circumstance, a reasonably cheap and unlocked mobile phone can be bought from one of the numerous shops selling telephones. International roaming is also accessible on mobile phones which have that facility.
Numerous affordable internet cafes are situated in major tourist centres such as Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Moshi. The speeds of internet servers generally vary, from being very slow to pretty fast. Internet can be accessed in most upmarket hotels offering either ADSL (plug in) or wirless connectivity. Internet is not available off the beaten track, such as game reserves and national parks.
