Vodacom will this year triple its 5G footprint in the Western Cape, as the operator expands connectivity in urban, deep rural areas and townships.
The mobile operator announced its plans yesterday, saying it will this year sink R500 million into network upgrades in the Western Cape.
Vodacom says this investment will help the region expand connectivity in areas that previously had no or poor connectivity.
Last month, Vodacom rival MTN South Africa said it’s targeting at least 25% of the country’s population to have 5G coverage by the end of 2022.
5G connectivity is a focus area for Vodacom, as it seeks to support the use of new technologies in the Western Cape.
At present, Vodacom has 49 5G base stations across Western Cape and says it “plans to triple this footprint across the region this year”.
“5G connectivity will deliver even greater benefits, supporting more widespread use of technologies like the internet of things and software-defined wide area networking. For businesses in particular, 5G has the potential to unlock data-driven productivity that will fuel our economy,” says the telco.
Carol Hall, managing executive for Vodacom Western Cape, adds: “We have always maintained that the key differentiator for us is the quality, strength and reliability of our networks.
“At Vodacom, we believe investing in our network ensures we deliver best-in-class coverage and customer service, not only to urban areas, but to people who dwell in township and deep rural areas as well, so they are well-positioned to take advantage of the benefits of the digital revolution.”
The operator says its network investment of more than R1.5 billion in the past three years in the Western Cape allowed the telco to switch on 38 new sites and upgrade over 75% of its existing 1 659 base stations with 4G capacity last year.
“R500 million will be used in the current financial year for investment in the Vodacom mobile network. As almost 90% of all our data traffic is carried on 4G technology, this amount will also go towards expanding 4G capacity across 530 sites in the region,” says Hall.
“Those most at risk of being digitally and financially excluded without the benefit of connectivity are largely in rural areas, which is why we’ve focused our energy on expanding coverage to these communities.”
Of last year’s site builds, Vodacom says 16 were in townships, with six built in rural towns and deep rural areas in the province.
According to Vodacom, the current investment will see a further nine sites added in deep rural areas.
“To date, 450 base stations provide coverage to rural areas, with 247 connecting townships in the province.”
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