Zanzibar mobile phone and internet costs
How many operators and ISPs are there in Zanzibar?
http://www.tz.zain.com/en/personal-plans/gprs-tariff/index.html
Zantel has a 3G service up and running. It can be slow, but I have found it to be totally reliable. It does not use the sky-vision satellite which plagues other providers. It is suitable for Skype voice calls (these consume ~35MB per hour). The cost for the modem is 290,000TzSh (~£140, or 150 euros) when you buy it from Zantel in Zanzibar (Question MK: How much is a modem on the market?). You then pay 90,000TzSh for upto a month's usage. Zantel says it is unlimited but it is capped at 3GB, which you can use for the month but (I think) no longer. It uses an (apparently) standard HUAWEI EC266 modem (Comment MK: Stefan will bring a HTC phone and tries the same SIM, also Fritz), so if you can bring one out it may work. I am not a telecomms expert, but the network type is EVDO only, the access number is #777, the password @zantel.com.
They have monthly postpaid subscription scheme in the pipleline, including the brochures which I saw in their office, so it can't be far off. You pay 55,000 TzSh per month, or 75,000 if you want the modem thrown in, and you have to take out a year's contract. Don't know the monthly amount this gives you though.
Dan Hamm in charge for ICT4D.at
http://hamm.co.uk/zanziblog/ has more on this.
i was thinking i saw it on a coverage map that there is 3G around, but this is maybe just set up and not yet available.
VolumeCustomer ProfileMonthly SubscriptionTshs/MB Pay as You Go Postpaid/Prepaid N/A Tshs 396 15 MB Postpaid Tshs 6,930 Tsh 385 100 MB Postpaid/Prepaid Tshs 26,400 Tshs 220 500MB Postpaid/Prepaid Tshs 66,000 Tshs 110 Unlimited Postpaid/Prepaid Tshs 100,000 Tshs 50