Big Vodacom upgrades for the Western Cape

Vodacom says it has implemented substantial network upgrades in the Western Cape region, anticipating rising traffic demands during this year’s festive season.

Vodacom Western Cape managing executive Carol Hall said the enhancements will ensure that visitors to the province remain connected.

The mobile operator also pledged an additional investment in the region for the 2024/25 financial year.

“We have pledged to invest R350 million this financial year to enhance the quality, capacity, and reach of our broadband network infrastructure across the Western Cape,” she said.

“As we approach the busy festive season, we are confident that our improvements will help us manage congestion and keep our customers connected even in busy tourist hotspots.”

The mobile operator has also assured that its network maintenance operations will continue through the festive season, focusing resources on holiday hotspots and nearby areas.

Vodacom says its network capacity in the region has improved significantly. It added 5G to 50 towers and 4G capacity to 384 towers.

“These upgrades are supported by the deployment of six temporary base stations for holiday hotspots and ten new permanent base stations across the province,” it said.

It added that 119 towers received battery upgrades and 37 received power infrastructure upgrades, while Vodacom installed 29 new standby generators at key network facilities.

Vodacom notes that theft and vandalism at base stations remain a significant concern and highlighted its approach to managing these threats.

“Unfortunately, theft and vandalism continue to challenge our goal of providing exceptional connectivity. We are actively seeking ways to minimise downtime due to power outages and have adopted a multi-layered approach to managing energy-related challenges,” said Hall.

“By upgrading our infrastructure and investing in high-end site security to mitigate theft of batteries and generators, we are excited to offer our customers superior connectivity wherever they travel.”