Vodacom Tanzania is taking its customers on a high speed roller coaster ride. Vodacom Tanzania has switched on its 3G HSPDA network in Dar-es-Salaam. With the installation of a 3G HSDPA network, Tanzania is only the second country in Africa with such technology, the first being South Africa.

3G HSDPA (Third Generation High Speed Downlink Data Packet Access) is a technology that delivers superior speed with the added benefit of mobility. The 3G HSDPA technology can be installed onto the GSM network backbone to provide Internet or 'data' connectivity via a mobile device. Vodacom Tanzania's 3G HSDPA network will enable users to browse the internet, make and receive video calls and MMS messages. Additionally, users can access their company network, check email, chat online as well as download online entertainment applications such as music and games at high speeds - all from the convenience of their mobile phone anywhere in Dar-es-Salaam.

The key differentiator between GPRS and 3G HSDPA is high speed.

"Vodacom is the first in East Africa with such technology and we believe that 3G HSDPA will give us a major competitive advantage," Vodacom Tanzania Managing Director Romeo Kumalo, said from his office in Dar-es-Salaam.

"3G technology is an important step forward for Vodacom, as the telecommunications industry enters a new era in mobile communications. Vodacom is rapidly and dramatically changing the way its customers experience their wireless communications. It is also shaping the future of mobile and broadband internet communications through its continued leadership in wireless technology," he added.

The 3G HSDPA network commercial launch is scheduled