Thirty new rural areas and districts are set to benefit from improved network connectivity from Vodacom Central Region’s investment in the Free State and Northern Cape.

The district municipalities that stand to benefit from the roll-out include Amajuba (KZN), Dr Kenneth Kaunda (NW), Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati (NW), Fezile Dabi (FS), Frances Baard (NC), Joe Gqabi (EC), John Taolo (NC), Namakwa (NC), Ngaka Modiri Molema (NW), Pixley Ka Seme (NC), Siyanda known now as ZF Mgcawu District Municipality (NC), Thabo Mofutsanyane (FS), Xhariep (FS), and Mangaung Metro (FS). 

The goal of the investment is to give customers access to a superior network and we do this by adding new sites and upgrading our network. “To drive the purpose we are investing heavily in the network in the Free State and Northern Cape to achieve our goal of building an inclusive digital society,” said Vodacom Central Region Marketing Executive Evah Mthimunye.

Evah Mthimunye says every community Vodacom serves should reap the rewards of digitalisation. Photo: BusinessTech

“To date, Vodacom Central Region has covered more than 99 percent of the population with a 3G network and 92 percent with a 4G network. This year we will be (activating more than) 30 new deep-rural sites to expand this reach and drive digital inclusion, especially in underserved areas in the province”

“We intend to use this network rollout and deployment to help every community we serve to be part of the Digital Era and reap the rewards of digitalisation,” she said.

Load-shedding continues to affect the network in the region to keep customers happy, Vodacom Central Region is investing over R120 million into energy projects, including the procurement of generators and increasing base station site power standby time, said Mthimunye.

e-Health strategy to save lives in the Free State – VIDEO

“These upgrades will improve network capacity and availability, particularly during stage 4-6 load-shedding.”

OFM News previously reported that the provincial government partnered with Vodacom to improve critical health services in the province in November when it launched its e-Health strategy to help improve the quality of services through modern technology.

The technological equipment showcased during the launch included electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, automation of paper-based manual processes, and mobile health apps.

The Free State government officially launched its e-Health project at the Nursing School in Bloemfontein. Photo: Kekeletso Mosebetsi

“Some of these technologies, such as assisted reality medico-legal surveillance systems, are used in countries such as Germany. The Free State is possibly the first South African province to use this system.

“It will help specialists provide advice to junior doctors and other healthcare providers even remotely,” said Free State Department of Health spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi.

In 2023, Vodacom launched two cutting-edge digital health solutions that were aimed at providing patients with medical care in public hospitals across the Free State province.

One of the systems called the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), the system is used to track ambulance requests from the moment a call is logged to the final delivery of the patients at their destination.

The features on the Bophelo Mobile App. Picture: Google PlayStore

The solution provides a transparent platform that effectively tracks ambulance movements, patient records, departmental resources, and equipment utilisation.

The provincial government launched the Bophelo Mobile App for emergency medical services and it allows residents to request ambulances, receive status updates, and even telephonically interact with dispatch officers.

“The app forms part of the broader modernisation of the provincial Emergency Medical Services call centre capabilities,” said Mvambi.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame cg