by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG – VODACOM Eastern Cape is upgrading its network to serve local communities in the Addo region and along the R335.
The latter connects Nelson Mandela Bay to KwaNojoli in Somerset East.
Prompted by a surge in truck hijackings on the Addo Road in Motherwell, Vodacom was approached by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber to investigate coverage gaps on this route.
Weak reception was repeatedly reported as a contributor to the area’s status as a crime hotspot.
To address the issue, Vodacom has completed upgrades to 11 base station sites in Addo in the Sarah Baartman District Municipality and along the R335.
Since the infrastructure improvements, mobile coverage in the area has increased by 10 percent, while network capacity has grown by 15 percent.
“With stronger mobile networks, communities become better equipped to prevent and respond to crime, and local businesses gain more reliable access to digital tools and markets,” said Zakhele Jiyane, Managing Executive of Vodacom Eastern Cape.
“For farmers, families, truck drivers, and police officers in the Addo area, our infrastructure upgrades have enhanced communication, security, livelihoods, and peace of mind.”
In the past financial year, Vodacom invested more than R500 million (US$27,7 million) in improving network infrastructure, expanding broadband access and rolling out renewable energy solutions, particularly in townships and deep rural areas in the province.
This brings its total investment across the Eastern Cape to over R1 billion in the last two years.
– CAJ News
