Vodacom has announced that it will be investing over R800 million this financial year on building new network sites, modernising its mobile networks, and rolling out full fibre broadband and energy projects in the KwaZulu-Natal region. The operator has set plans to deploy new sites in deep rural areas of several unconnected provinces in the region.
Most of the investment funds will be used to improve their radio access network, modernise the core network infrastructure and deploy LTE and 5G technologies. These efforts will deliver faster network speeds to Vodacom customers across the region. Moreover, through this ongoing investment, Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal’s 3G population coverage will increase to 98.89%, 4G to 98.86% and 5G to 50% by the end of the current financial year.
Earlier this year, Vodacom KwaZulu Natal launched customised, discounted voice and data deals including Just4You and Just4You Town bundles for residents in certain KwaZulu-Natal municipalities, as well as larger prepaid data bundles with Prepaid LTE. More importantly, Vodacom announced Prepaid Fibre in Townships for as little as R249 in order to further promote inclusion and connectivity in all of our communities.
Imran Khan, Managing Executive, KwaZulu-Natal Region, Vodacom
We are making a significant investment in the network in KwaZulu-Natal in order to achieve our goal of building an inclusive digital society. 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. Our dedication to providing clients with a first-rate network experience is demonstrated by these results. We are making sure that our individual customers and businesses can benefit from connectivity no matter where they are with our reliable, wide coverage. We hope to significantly improve the communities we serve through our strategic alliances with local authorities and organisations. We are achieving our purpose of connecting everyone to a better future with our substantial network investment and ongoing CSI initiatives.