Vodacom is investing over R800-million this financial year on building new network sites, modernising its mobile networks, full fibre broadband rollout, and energy projects to accelerate its broadband connectivity throughout KwaZulu-Natal – including new sites in deep rural areas of the province.
“We are making a significant investment in the network in KwaZulu-Natal in order to achieve our goal of building an inclusive digital society,” says Imran Khan, managing executive for the Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal region. “Our goal is to give our customers an excellent network experience by increasing the availability of a reliable and high-quality connectivity by adding new sites and upgrading our network. Importantly, we have set aside resources to roll out 130 new sites in deep rural areas in Ugu, Umhlabuyalingana, Abaqulusi, and Edumbe local municipalities.
“It is no longer acceptable for deep rural residents to observe the digital revolution from the sidelines; they must participate in it and benefit from the associated socio-economic benefits,” Khan says.
The bulk of the funds will be used to improve radio access network, modernise the core network infrastructure, and deploying the latest and faster mobile networks such as LTE and 5G. This investment will provide faster network speeds and more connectivity for Vodacom customers across the province. Moreover, through this ongoing investment, by the end of the current financial year, Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal’s 3G population coverage will increase to 98,89%, 4G to 98,86% and 5G to 50%.
Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal enjoys a 99,8% call setup success rate and a 0,3% call drop rate, which can be attributed to increasing investment in network services.
“Our dedication to providing clients with a first-rate network experience is demonstrated by these results,” says Khan. “We are making sure that our individual customers and businesses can benefit from connectivity no matter where they are with our reliable, wide coverage.”