Vodacom Becomes First African Mobile Network to Exceed 80% Population Coverage On 4G

Vodacom has become the first African mobile network to exceed 80% population coverage on 4G.

Vodacom now provides 80.12 per cent 4G coverage in South Africa, with 99.78 per cent of the population covered by 3G and 99.97 per cent covered by 2G.

The accelerated rural coverage programme, outlined by Vodacom in June last year, has been a significant contributor to providing South Africans with the widest coverage.

Some of the rural areas which now have access to 4G coverage, to name a few, include Sterkfontein in Limpopo, Brandfort in the Free State and Sundays River Valley in the Eastern Cape. Ulundi in KwaZulu Natal now enjoys the same 4G signal as Vodacom subscribers who live in the heart of Johannesburg.

Vodacom has invested R39.69 billion in its network in South Africa over the past five years. Vodacom Chief Technology Officer Andries Delport says: “Despite the ongoing spectrum constraints, Vodacom now provides over 80% 4G coverage in South Africa. Our aim is to expand our network coverage to all parts of the country, including remote rural areas. Access to new, sub 1GHz spectrum will enable the more cost effective rollout of 4G, which will help Vodacom increase broadband coverage to more South Africans.”

4G connectivity has intrinsic advantages over 3G and 2G, providing users with faster and more reliable internet access for devices and laptops. 4G offers numerous benefits for South African SMEs, with speeds that are up to three times faster than 3G and reduced network latency.