The mobile phone giant intends to spend more than R400 million in these two provinces this year to improve capacity and connections, especially in remote rural areas. But with upgrades and the installation of new equipment, the risk of vandalism and theft increases accordingly.
Vandals’ actions follow certain patterns, says Bangani. “They will attack a certain area for up to a month until the situation there becomes too risky for them, then they move to the next district.”
The community’s vigilance and cooperation are key in combating vandalism and theft. “The community’s alertness in reporting suspicious activity helps us to respond quickly. It is especially the farming community that immediately informs us if they notice anything suspicious.”
Bangani says it will be difficult to eradicate equipment theft but security measures and technology are continuously reviewed to stay a step ahead. “More security cameras have been installed to monitor our base stations, and if trespassing occurs, armed response units are immediately dispatched.”
Eva Mthimunye, chief executive of Vodacom’s central region, says the company is grateful for communities that realise vandals and thieves also endanger their lives and safety and report the culprits’ activities. “If all stakeholders work together, we can curb this type of crime and ensure uninterrupted access to the cellphone network for everyone.”
Upgraded backup systems counter power outages
One of the major priorities for the central region is to ensure the backup system supplying power to its network remains stable. “With load-shedding, we had to adapt and realised that two hours of backup power is not enough, especially when several hours of power outages occur daily. We have increased the backup power capacity at more than 360 sites in this region from two hours to eight to 12 hours,” says Bangani.
Of this year’s planned spending, R250 million will be used to strengthen the radio access network while R150 million will expand and upgrade the capacity of the microwave and fibre networks. “This will lead to better connectivity and network speed and help bridge the digital divide between urban and rural users,” said Mthimunye.
Up to 99% of the central region’s cellphone users have 3G network coverage, while 98.2% can use 4G. “We are still on a journey with the rollout of 5G capacity,” says Mthimunye.
New 5G sites to be commissioned in this financial year include the following district municipalities: Amajuba, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Fezile Dabi, Frances Baard, Joe Gqabi, John Taolo, Mangaung Metro, Namakwa, Ngaka Modiri Molema, Pixley Ka Seme, Siyanda, Thabo Mofutsanyane and Xhariep. The region will establish 30 new sites in remote rural areas, especially those lacking sufficient network coverage.
