Vodacom South Africa
Vodacom and Google Give Smartphones to Rural Communities in South Africa
Vodacom has partnered with Google to give away hundreds of Android-powered smartphones to communities across Limpopo, South Africa. This move forms part of the companies continued efforts to “reduce the digital divide” and offer many who reside in deep rural communities “access to the internet for the first time”. “At Vodacom we are optimistic about how technology and connectivity can enhance the future and improve people’s lives. Through our business, we aim to build a digital society that transforms communities, embraces everyone, leaving no one behind. Our purpose is to ‘connect for a better future’, improving the lives of the next 100 million customers by 2025,” says Imran Khan, Managing Executive for Vodacom Limpopo. “In our pursuit to build an inclusive and sustainable digital societ...
Vodacom Launches Widest 5G Network in KZN
Vodacom has announced its plans to roll-out the widest 5G network in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Its 5G network is currently available on 156 live 5G sites across the KwaZulu-Natal province and supports both mobile and fixed wireless access services. To launch the 5G network in KZN, Vodacom used the temporary spectrum assigned by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), including 1×50 MHz in the 3.5 GHz, 2x10MHz and 700MHz. Vodacom has decided to use the 700 MHz band for wide-scale mobile, 5G coverage and is supplementing network capacity with 3.5 GHz where required. “Vodacom now offers the widest 5G network coverage in KwaZulu-Natal and we expect to expand our national 5G footprint significantly once we get access to new spectrum. We are confident that the r...
Vodacom South Africa Announces Apple iPhone 12 Launch Date
Vodacom South Africa has confirmed that the Apple iPhone 12 range will be available on 18 December 2020. The telo also revealed that it will accept pre-orders from the 11th. “With a beautiful all-new design, iPhone 12 family models feature unparalleled new camera systems, edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR displays for a more immersive viewing experience, the biggest jump in durability with the Ceramic Shield front cover, and Apple-designed A14 Bionic chip, the fastest chip in a smartphone,” reads a statement from Vodacom. The full range of Apple devices includes: /* custom css */ .tdi_3_c56.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_c56.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } iPhone 12 iPhone 12 Mini iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 Pro Max Apple iPhone 12 At first glance, the iPhone 12 looks remarkably s...
Vodacom Partners with Nokia on 5G Network
Vodacom has join forces with Nokia to enable ultra-fast 5G services for South Africans. Nokia is said to be deploying its 5G radio, core and fixed network solutions across Vodacom’s network. The telco is using Nokia’s 2G, 3G, 4G and fibre access networks, as well as 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) and mobile broadband services. Vodacom will also use Nokia’s FastMile 5G gateway to offer FWA broadband services in areas not currently served by a fibre network. The solution is expected to be easy for subscribers to install, delivering fibre-like speeds to homes while using Wi-Fi to connect devices within the home. “We are committed to providing the most innovative products and highest quality service to our subscribers. 5G technology allows us to deliver ultra-fast mobile networks and support e...
Vodacom to Invest R320 Million into Rural Broadband Connectivity
Vodacom has revealed its plans to invest just over R320 million into network across KwaZulu Natal during 2020/2021. The lion’s share of the capital expenditure will go towards building new LTE base station sites in both urban and deep rural areas of the province. This network acceleration is expected to aid in removing barriers to communications, provide access to fast internet and help in driving digital inclusion among communities in deep rural areas of the province. The availability of high-speed broadband is critical to deep rural development, but research shows that deep rural communities are lagging behind in terms of broadband connectivity, excluding many from digital transformation. “We have always maintained that the key differentiator for us is the quality, strength and reliabili...
Vodacom and Rain Partnership Constitutes a Merger, According to Telkom
Telkom has approached the Competition Tribunal to declare the suite of spectrum arrangements between Vodacom and Rain as a merger – something that it believes should have been notifiable in terms of the Competition Act. The Telco says that the merger is notifiable because “the multiple agreements between Vodacom and Rain grant Vodacom use and control over the deployment of Rain’s spectrum, including the planning, rollout, maintenance and service of its radio access network”. According to Telkom’s Group Executive for Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations, Siyabonga Mahlangu, Vodacom’s ability to control Rain’s spectrum entrenches its position as a dominant player in a highly concentrated market. “It is important that the effects of spectrum arrangements on competition are scrutin...
Vodacom and Alipay Partner to Create a New Super-App
Vodacom and Alipay have partnered to create a super app that’ll allow South African consumers to manage their entire lives and business through their smartphone – which includes playing music, paying for morning coffees, listening to podcasts, sending money to family, paying utility bills, shopping online and ordering new stock for their businesses. According to the companies, the app will not only offer a stellar digital customer experience but will also bring to life a market place of goods and services tailored to the South African customer needs. This will be underpinned by a progressive digital payments ecosystem designed to serve both the banked and unbanked parts of the population. Customers and merchants will all find each other on one affordable platform, operated by Vodacom ...
MTN Ranked as South Africa’s Best Network during Lockdown
Image sourced from Pinterest. MTN has been named as the best mobile network in South Africa during lockdown – a title awarded by MyBroadband in their lastest insights report. The report is based on 278,890 speed tests which were performed by thousands of Speed Test App users across the country between 1 April and 30 June 2020. The research shows that South Africa had an average mobile download speed of 27.13Mbps and an average upload speed of 10.53Mbps. Telecoms and Lockdown During the lockdown, there was pressure on mobile networks to maintain good service levels amidst the increased demand for data. The higher data traffic, which increased by up to 50%, would typically result in a decrease in network speeds. However, this was not the case thanks to the temporary spectrum issued by ICASA ...
Vodacom Business and Microsoft Partner on Digital Education Platform
Vodacom Business and Microsoft South Africa have partnered to provide access to continuous, connected digital learning for South Africa’s education institutions, educators and learners through their Connected Digital Education initiative. This is in response to the growing need for affordable online learning solutions that meet the educational requirements of today’s learners through a secure combination of connectivity, collaboration, communication and educational tools and resources, while also considering the long-term need to transform education. The Connected Digital Education Platform is a trusted education platform that enables remote learning with affordable connectivity, ultimately turning the learning environment into a single, simple solution for the learner and giving them acce...
Vodacom Releases Alcatel2019G Phone Designed for Elderly Citizens
South African network provider, Vodacom has launched the Alcatel 2019G phone series which comes standard with a large keypad and simple user interface with big icons, ideal for those with low vision as well as the elderly. The Alcatel 2019G is available from the Vodacom website as well as Vodacom stores nationwide and retails at R649. The device comes standard with a dedicated charging dock, SOS emergency function, torch, lock and unlock key, 16 hours talk time, 2MP rear camera as well as a wireless FM Radio that users can enjoy without a headphone. “Some of our senior citizens have been consistent in their feedback to us – they prefer a device with a large keypad. In line with our purpose pillar of creating an inclusive digital society, the introduction of the Alcatel 2019 series helps us...
Vodacom Partners with WITS University to Ensure Continued Online Learning
To help students stay on track to successfully complete the 2020 academic year despite not being on campus, Vodacom has partnered with the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) in Johannesburg to keep students connected to higher learning activities. The network provider says that it has committed to providing each student with a 30GB data bundle to remain connected and continue their education while they are away from campus. “We can all agree that success begins with education. For many students, remote learning is a challenge as they do not have the means to access online learning materials,” says William Mzimba, Chief Officer for Vodacom Business. “As remote learning becomes a necessity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vodacom Business is proud to partner with WITS to support education a...
Vodacom is The First Telco to Zero-Rate what3words
The what3words technology, available as an app or online map, has divided the world into a grid of 3m squares, giving each square a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. Vodacom has become the first telco globally to zero-rate the lifesaving addressing technology, what3words, for its more than 43 million subscribers across South Africa. The UN estimates that 75% of countries in the world have a poorly maintained addressing system – or none at all. This is an issue that South Africa knows well, with large parts of the country still lacking spatial planning. This might be an inconvenience when you are expecting a delivery, but it is a far graver issue for locals living in rural areas or informal settlements when it comes to emergencies. Without an address – or in the event...
