Vodacom has announced a substantial investment of ZAR800 million (US$44.4 million) for this financial year to upgrade its network and extend connectivity to remote areas within KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
In an official statement, Vodacom outlined plans to establish new mobile sites, modernize existing networks, and expand its fiber infrastructure. Imran Khan, the Managing Executive for Vodacom's KwaZulu-Natal region, highlighted that the company will allocate resources to construct 130 new sites in deeply rural areas within the Ugu, Umhlabuyalingana, Abaqulusi, and Edumbe local municipalities. These areas have previously lacked any form of connectivity.
"It is no longer acceptable for residents in remote rural regions to merely observe the digital revolution from the sidelines; they must be active participants and benefit from the socio-economic advantages it brings," stated Khan.
The bulk of the ZAR800 million investment will focus on upgrading the Radio Access Network (RAN), modernizing core infrastructure, and deploying 4G and 5G connectivity across KwaZulu-Natal. Vodacom aims to achieve 98.89% 3G coverage, 98.86% 4G coverage, and 50% 5G coverage in the province. Although the current coverage statistics were not disclosed, the company revealed that previous investments have resulted in a 99.8% call setup success rate and a 0.3% call drop rate in the region.
