Vodacom hands five cellular sites over to Limpopo government

2 years ago 4

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On Thursday, 25 May 2023, Vodacom handed over five new live sites to the Limpopo Department of Health, which it says will provide staff, patients, visitors, and nearby communities with better coverage and high-speed connectivity.

The 4G network sites will be established near major hospitals, with Vodacom Limpopo having already commissioned three sites new sites at the Louis Trichardt, Bela-Bela, Letaba, Witpoort, and Tshlidzini hospitals.

Vodacom says the infrastructure for the newly deployed sites cost R6 million. Managing executive for Vodacom Limpopo, Ridwaan Soomra, said the new sites form part of its ongoing partnership with the Department of Health.

“By establishing these 4G network sites near major hospitals, we are driving access to the benefits of internet services, improving our customer experience and helping transform healthcare in the province and South Africa,” said Soomra.

In 2022, Vodacom Limpopo’s partnership with the Department of Health saw the network operator donate 201 cold chain freezers and storage units worth R2.7 million.

The freezers and units store vaccines for distribution to patients in Limpopo.

“This was over and above the donation of 2,000 smartphones, plus data and voice call minutes, to the Department of Health to support efforts in the fight against the pandemic in the province,” Vodacom said.

During the 2022/23 financial year, the network operator invested R300 million to expand its Limpopo network to provide better broadband coverage in remote areas in the province.

Limpopo Health MEC, Phophi Ramathuba, said the partnership would help address some of the challenges the Limpopo Department of Health faces.

“The Department of Health in Limpopo province would like to thank Vodacom for commissioning R6m worth of 4G and 5G base station sites in five of our 13 rural hospitals,” said Ramathuba.

“These network base station sites will help to accelerate better healthcare delivery.”