Usage of Cell Phones in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

Abstract

This study examined the usage of cell phone in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania.  The specific objectives of this study were to determine the usage of cell phones in Morogoro Municipality; investigate factors influencing usage of cell phones in Morogoro Municipality; and examine challenges of cell phone usage in Morogoro Municipality. Resources in terms of time set for the research and finance, the sample comprises of 120 respondents and 3 key informants. Data were collected through questionnaire, unstructured interview and observations. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 16 was used for data analysis. The study results indicate that regardless the age, sex and education; all respondents have the skills to use cell phone. The usability of the cell phone depends much with someone needs; friends and family influences. About 83.3% of the respondents responded positively that they own and use cell phone for different purpose. The results further shows that  81.7% of people in Morogoro municipality area use cell phone for making calls, 67.5% for sending short text message and 44.2%  for  listening music and FM radios, and surfing to internet using cell phone occupied 29.2% . Interesting, 37.5% of the respondents are using cell phone for money transactions. Mobile phones also are highly valued for social activities, entertainments, news, and awareness. Cell phone usage brings people attention all the time even if they are at remote areas. The challenges faced in using cell phone is the poor durability, poor skills on using cell phone simply because they are made in foreign language; few of them  can be set to Kiswahili language. It is concluded that education is needed to the cell phone users on better and varied use of the cell phone technology. Again, challenges on using cell phones need to be addressed by companies that make cell phone products and export to us. They should make sure they provide the best and affordable product in order to facilitate the usability of the cell phone technology and not importing every product which lead to act as the damping area of poorer made cell phones.

Government also should make deliberate efforts to minimize the cost of operating a mobile phone, in cluding regulating the cross network expenses to encourage the sharing of the available infrastructure among cell phone network providers.

Key Word, Usage of Cell Phone, Morogoro Municipality