11 October 2022

Vodacom is investing R300 million into its Limpopo network this financial year, with the aim of enhancing broadband coverage in remote areas.

Most of the investment will be used to modernise the existing radio network, construct new deep rural towers, and enhance transmission by improving backup power and increasing fibre rollout. The funds will also help provide extra capacity to support the region’s traffic growth, which rose by 17.4% year on year. Limpopo has more than 1,557 network sites, 97% of which support 3G, and 92% support 4G. Vodacom was the first to roll out 5G to Limpopo last year and plans to double 5G coverage there by the end of the next financial year.

“We are very excited about our network investment for the Limpopo region this financial year, as we aim to ensure that all our customers will benefit from a quality network experience, particularly in rural areas,” said Ridwaan Soomra, managing executive of Vodacom Limpopo Region. Expanding access to connectivity forms part of our commitment to building an inclusive digital future while assisting with stimulating socio-economic growth in the province.”

Site vandalism and load-shedding have been significant challenges for Vodacom, so the company has strengthened security and upgraded backup power solutions across sites to ensure that customers stay connected. More than R100 million has been invested in overcoming power outages, the generator fleet has been increased by 35%, and generator repair spend now sits at 170% more than allocated. A further R8 million has been spent on fuel for the generators in case of outages.