By Daniel Dickinson In Zanzibar

If you travel across Zanzibar's historic Stone Town in Mbwana Simahimbo's ramshackle taxi it is more than likely that his mobile phone with its James Bond signature ring tone will break the peace at least once during the journey.

Although this is a scene which is probably common to cities across the world in Zanzibar its impact has perhaps been most keenly felt.

Zantel now has 45,000 subscribers

It is the most visible sign of the huge difference technology has made to this Indian Ocean island situated off the coast of Tanzania.

Mbwana Simahimbo has owned a mobile phone for three years and he told BBC News Online that it has changed his life.

"I use to have to drive around looking for fares. This was tiring, time consuming and cost me a lot in petrol.

"Now, I wait for my customers to call me and I just go and pick them up."

The mobile phone has had a huge economic impact on Mr Simahimbo. He reckons that on average he makes around US$15 a day in fares compared to up to $7 before he had a phone.

And it is not just taxi drivers who are benefiting from the mobile phone. Zanzibaris with a wide range of jobs are using them, including tradesmen, tourist guides and market sellers.

Business opportunities

The mobile phone has also generated new business ventures.

Taxi driver Mbwana Simahimbo has made money with his mobile

On the east coast of the island young boys turn a profit by renting out their phones to tourists who want to call home, offering significantly better rates than those offered by the international hotels.

The biggest users are perhaps businessmen, the descendants of Arab traders who made Zanzibar an important trading post in past centuries.

They are spending sometimes a US$100 a day communicating with clients around the world.

This communication revolution has been largely brought about by Zantel, the main mobile phone provider in Zanzibar and its neighbouring island Pemba.

With just 45,000 subscribers, it's one of Africa's smallest providers.

Its chief executive Mohammed Salim said the world of those subscribers now looks very different from what it did a few years ago.

"People in Zanzibar and Pemba are now able to communicate with the rest of the world. They no longer feel isolated. The world has become a smaller place."

Cut off from the world

Before mobile telephony arrived in Zanzibar at the end of the 1990s, it was only the very fortunate or very rich who had access to the largely unreliable fixed-line system.

Mobile communication masts are spreading throughout the country

A wait of four to five years to have a line installed was apparently not uncommon.

These days, there is a slight element of surprise even bemusement if you have a fixed line rather than a wireless service.

According to Zantel's Mr Salim, wireless communication is the future for Zanzibar.

"You can get a mobile phone account immediately and without any red tape.

"People who want to have a telephone will chose a mobile rather than fixed-line service. It is also more flexible. You can call from anywhere to anywhere, whatever the time of day."

The shift towards mobile phones is good news for Zantel.

The average spend of its 45,000 customers is around US$10 a month, a figure that is set to rise.

The operator has kept its tariffs intentionally low to encourage more subscribers, a move that has ensured it stayed ahead of its mainland competitors on Zanzibar, Vodacom, Celtel and Mobitel.

Expansion plans

With around one million people living on Zanzibar and Pemba there is still some scope for growth, although the average wage of around less than US$1 a day means that many will be unable to afford Zantel's low tariffs, let alone the $50 it costs to buy the cheapest handset.

Now Zantel is eyeing up the possibility of expansion on to mainland Tanzania, a move that will not make sense until 2005 for regulatory reasons.

It is also looking at establishing roaming agreements with other international operators, so that tourists can use their own mobile phones to call home.

"The roaming market is extremely lucrative," said Zantel's Mr Salim. "We believe that subscribers from the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany would generate business worth more than US$10,000 a month."

While Zantel mulls over future revenue possibilities, the average Zanzibari, will continue to enjoy the relative newness of being able to communicate with who they want, where they want and at whatever time they want.