KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has welcomed the launch telecommunications company Vodacom’s fifth-generation (5G) network in the province, as part of the vision to create a smart province by 2021.
The Premier on December 14 said the launch was a step forward in achieving this vision.
“We want to enable the province to derive value opportunities in light of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as well as to ensure that our people benefit from the digital economy – opening up new job opportunities, investment, small, medium-sized and microenterprise development and skills development," he commented.
Zikalala highlighted the importance of information and communication technology.
"We know that existing spectrum bands are becoming congested, leading to breakdowns in service, particularly when lots of people in the same area are trying to access online mobile services at the same time. We have no doubt that the improved connectivity through 5G will enhance visitor experiences and contribute in growing the township economy," he said.
“KwaZulu-Natal would like to have as many 5G towers as possible. We see many 5G towers in province like Gauteng and the Western Cape and a few in KwaZulu-Natal. We thus wish to see more 5G towers so that our communities can be able to leverage the benefits of the technology,” he added.