Vodacom KwaZulu networks are well-prepared for the 2023 Festive Season

DURBAN – KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) tourism officials are hopeful that the forthcoming summer season will be a bumper one. Locals will flock KZN shores to experience the sunny weather, beautiful beaches, game reserves, rolling green hills, world class shopping malls and relics of the great battles in South African history. Given that demand on Vodacom's mobile networks around these hotspots increases dramatically, Vodacom KwaZulu Natal Region has done a lot of work in the past three months to ensure that its mobile networks are geared up to handle the shift in high volumes of traffic this Festive season.

Imran Khan, Managing Executive for Vodacom KwaZulu Natal Region commented: "KwaZulu Natal is a favourite holiday destination for holiday makers and tends to attract many visitors during the Festive Season.  Data traffic on the network grew by 40% in the province over the past year and we expect this to increase during this holiday season as visitors will be using the internet for various reasons. As SA's most reliable network and Best in test (according to independent benchmarking organisation, 'Umlaut'), we've been ramping up investment on the network in recent months to make sure that we are ready for the peak traffic in December and January. To this end, the recent migration to 700 MHz spectrum band has enabled the Region to increase its network capacity in 100 base station sites across the province. This  will help us to provide super network coverage and capacity at key areas along the coast as well some inland destinations across the province."

"Additionally, we performed 5G upgrades in key holiday destinations and this will guarantee holiday makers superior network experience for broadband services. In addition to our network roll-out allocation for this financial year, we secured funding to build additional base station sites to provide increased capacity in tourist hotspots. On a practical basis, this means that we'll be bringing faster data services and improved voice quality to tens of thousands of people when and where they need it, ensuring that we continue to deliver unparalleled customer service."

Widespread loadshedding continues to affect the network in the region. To keep customers connected, Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal announced that it is investing R235 million into energy projects this financial year. For the festive season, the region has procured 510 base station site batteries, 30 generators and 59 high security battery cabinet installations. This deployment will improve network capacity and availability, particularly during stage 4-6 loadshedding.

Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal is investing over R1 billion this financial year into the region's network to increase capacity and resilience and accelerate access to connectivity throughout the province, particularly in deep rural areas. The Region's 4G population coverage is standing at 95.8%. In addition, the KZN Region now has circa 200 sites on 5G, with plans to switch on another 122 within the fiscal year.

"The basis of our competitive advantage lies in the superiority of our network, achieved through our investment in network infrastructure and IT systems. The upgrades we've done on our network mean that holiday makers can rest assured that they'll enjoy the superior network experience on our mobile networks," concluded Khan.