Vodacom has completed a R1 billion network investment aimed at increasing speed, capacity, range and clarity of signal in the Western Cape, as well as bringing long-term evolution (LTE) to the city of Cape Town.
This comes two years after the network upgrade began, a move made in response to increased smartphone penetration and the resultant increase in data demand. "[Data demand] is fast outstripping the need for a traditional voice only service," says Vodacom.
The operator says it has significantly increased the number of 3G and LTE base stations in the province. Technicians have replaced and reconfigured outdated technology at towers with new imported technology and have expanded fibre-optic infrastructure. LTE base stations in Cape Town cover 60% of the population.
Steven Barnwell, managing executive for Vodacom's operations in the western region, notes fibre allows for considerable increases in capacity and speed. "You are literally making a connection at the speed of light and we are targeting download speeds of up to 65Mbps."
Project reach
He says the project featured up to 20 teams of four to five technicians working up to eight sites a day. "It was a significant logistical challenge as the work had to be completed while Vodacom was still running an operational network."
But Barnwell says Vodacom is happy with the result, with Khayelitsha seeing a massive uptake in data usage. "We opened the tap and more people adopted."
In addition to the metro areas, Vodacom has also expanded its network in rural areas by adding 30 new specialised 3G sites optimised to cover large areas. Remote places like Klawer, Sutherland, Hopefield, Barrydale, Three Sisters and Robben Island are now experiencing faster speeds, says Vodacom.
"Extremely isolated places including Lekkersing and Eksteenfontein in the Richtersveld have only had access to Edge, but now have 2G."
Vodacom plans to spend R9 billion in total across SA this year.