(Ecofin Agency) – As the demand for high-speed connectivity increases in South Africa, telecom operators are facing many challenges such as the shortage of electricity. Vodacom plans to invest $3.3 billion over five years to improve its network resilience and coverage.
Telecommunications company Vodacom Group announced on Tuesday July 11 that it will invest around 500 million rand (27.7 million USD) in its network in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, during the year. financial 2023-2024. The investment will be used in particular to extend mobile connectivity in deep rural areas and townships that have not been connected so far, we learned.
Specifically, the funds will be used to deploy new base station sites, improve network capacity, perform backup power upgrades in the event of power outages, and deploy fifth-generation (5G) mobile technology. ).
This new investment comes in a context where South African telecom operators are multiplying initiatives to keep their networks in operation and guarantee the continued provision of quality services to subscribers in a context of energy crisis. In addition, Vodacom must continue its program to cover rural areas rich in potential telecom subscribers to strengthen its leading position in the national telecom market in the face of competition from MTN.
In addition, Vodacom pledged last April to invest 60 billion rand (3.3 billion USD) in its operations in South Africa over the next five years. In particular, the company wants to significantly improve the resilience of the Vodacom SA network and accelerate coverage of rural areas. Earlier this year, she landed Meta’s 2Africa fiber optic submarine cable at Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.
” It is no longer acceptable for people in rural areas to witness the Internet revolution from the side of the road, they must be part of it and reap the economic benefits that come with it. […] We take it seriously when we say that rural areas and townships should have the same network experience that people in urban areas are used to. », Zakhele Jiyane, general manager of Vodacom for the Eastern Cape region.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
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24/01/2023 – Vodacom lands Meta’s 2Africa cable in the Eastern Cape of South Africa
17/04/2023 – South Africa: Vodacom announces an investment of 3.3 billion USD over the next five years
