Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) announced that they are bringing mobile network coverage to far-flung regions of KwaZulu-Natal by building 84 base stations. The initiative is a part of the company’s rural coverage acceleration programme. Vodacom plans to build 84 bases and aims to provide 95 percent 4G coverage in the province by 2022.
Regarded as South Africa’s biggest mobile network provider, Vodacom is investing R100 million and is on a mission to cover even the most far-reaching regions of KZN in a period of three years. The benefits of this programme are already being enjoyed by nine district municipalities, along with 14 local municipalities, that includes Jozini, uMhlabuyalingana, uMfolozi, uMlalazi, uMsinga, uMzumbe, urgent, Ray Nkonyeni, Mandeni, eNdumeni, eDumbe, Msunduzi, Newcastle and Nqutu. Prior to this, these areas had zero mobile coverage.
Vodacom Kwazulu-Natal Executive Head of Operations, Ishmael Mathinya said in a statement, “In a bid to ensure the widest and first-class network that is accessible to all South Africans, we made a deliberate decision to invest in the region and are making great progress so that we leave no one behind. Critically, with these new base station sites, we have connected previously unconnected areas enabling scores of people to use innovative digital services in their daily lives that will empower themselves in a digital age.”
After Vodacom deploys new 3G and 4G sites, school kids can now have access to the internet for the first time. This will also aid people who are actively looking for jobs since now they can apply online. The new investment is also expected to strengthen the local economic development and empower small to medium enterprises (SMEs) while benefitting over 80 communities.