South African mobile operator Vodacom has switched on 21 new 3G and 4G enabled base station sites in deep rural areas across the Central Region province during March and April alone, announced the operator on Wednesday.
Deployed across 21 villages, these base stations will provide connectivity in some of the big local municipalities in Free State and Northern Cape provinces for the first time. The new sites will deliver fast internet connectivity and connect the unconnected, particularly in deep rural areas of the province to ensure inclusion for all.
The new sites are part of Vodacom’s Rural Coverage Acceleration Programme, aimed at expanding network coverage for people who live in deep rural areas of South Africa to augment the good work that Vodacom regions have done in ramping up network infrastructure outside of urban areas over many years.
GSMA research shows that while the availability of high-speed broadband is critical to deep rural development, deep rural communities are lagging behind in terms of broadband connectivity, excluding many from digital transformation and access to the digital economy.
Tsatsi Mthimunye, Managing Executive for Vodacom Central Region
We have embarked on a crucial network investment drive in our province as part of the rural network expansion programme so that we address coverage gaps in deep rural and township areas. The new sites are going to provide faster internet speeds, greater capacity and help to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas of Free State and Northern Cape provinces.
