Telecommunications group Vodacom is investing more than R1-billion into its mobile network in KwaZulu-Natal this year.

The company aims to improve regional coverage reach and quality, capacity and network resilience, as well as accelerate access to connectivity throughout the province, particularly in deep rural areas and townships, says Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal managing executive Imran Khan.

Vodacom has allocated R444-million of its capital expenditure for radio access network-related projects, R135-million for regional network capacity and upgrades, R85-million for network resilience improvement, optimisation and operations and R17.5-million for core network infrastructure upgrades and projects.

Further, there are plans to expand long-term evolution capacity to 704 base station sites in KwaZulu-Natal this year.

Currently, 99.5% of the region’s population has access to Vodacom’s third-generation connectivity, while 97.6% has access to its fourth-generation connectivity.

“We are rolling out 27 new urban sites and 43 new deep rural sites across KwaZulu-Natal this financial year to expand this reach and, importantly, connect the unconnected to online resources, such as education, healthcare and financial services, that have the potential to transform lives,” adds Khan.

The KwaZulu-Natal region has over 200 sites running fifth-generation (5G) technology, with another 61 sites set to be deployed this year.

“We are hoping to increase this 5G site count even more as the spectrum implementation process continues. At the moment, metropolitan and high-demand areas in the region are benefiting from 5G, but our aim is to expand the coverage reach and capacity, so that all sectors of the economy, from agriculture to small businesses, can widely use new technologies, such as the Internet of Things, to boost sustainable productivity,” says Khan.