SA's largest cellular operator, Vodacom, will set up an innovation centre in Midrand to cater for all of Vodafone's group operations.
Vodafone, Vodacom's parent company with a majority stake, is one of the world's largest mobile communications companies by revenue. It has about 359 million subscribers, in 30 countries, across five continents.
Etienne Gerber, acting head of Vodafone's Site Solutions Innovation Centre, says Vodacom has been tasked with setting up an innovation centre for the entire Vodafone group. The centre aims to focus on finding innovative solutions to tackle power problems at its operations in emerging and developed markets.
Gerber says the centre will serve all of Vodafone's operations, including those in Europe, SA, Africa, India and the Middle East. He explains that sustainable power is a challenge for operators in emerging markets, where supply cannot always be guaranteed.
The innovation centre will be operational towards the end of the year. It will bring together various technologies in a bid to find solutions that work and can be rolled out across Vodafone's operations where suitable.
Gerber says the solutions will be implemented quickly so that Vodafone can benefit from advances in technology and greater efficiencies.
The innovation centre aims to test alternative technologies next to each other, to work out the best solution or combination of solutions, says Gerber. In addition, the solutions will be tested to make sure they are viable and can be implemented on a sustainable basis, he notes.
Gerber explains the solutions should cut down on reliance on diesel to fuel generators in areas where there isn't a reliable power source. Diesel is costly, and harmful to the environment, he adds.
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