Thirty new rural areas and districts are set to benefit from improved network connectivity thanks to Vodacom Central Region’s investment in the Free State and Northern Cape.
The district municipalities that will benefit from the rollout 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, now known as ZF Mgcawu District Municipality (NC), Thabo Mofutsanyane (FS), Xhariep (FS) and Mangaung Metro (FS).
The aim of the investment is to give customers access to a superior network and we are doing this by adding new sites and upgrading our network. “To achieve the goal, 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 Evah Mthimunye, Marketing Director of Vodacom Central Region.
Evah Mthimunye says every community that Vodacom serves should reap the benefits of digitalisation. Photo: BusinessTech
“To date, Vodacom Central Region has covered over 99 percent of the population with a 3G network and 92 percent with a 4G network. This year, we will activate (over) 30 new deep rural locations to expand this reach and drive digital inclusion, particularly in underserved areas of the province”
“We plan to use this network rollout and deployment to help every community we serve join the digital age and reap the benefits of digitalization,” she said.
The network outages in the region are still affecting the network. To keep customers happy, Vodacom Central Region is investing more than R120 million in energy projects, including the purchase of generators and extending the standby time of base stations, Mthimunye said.
e-Health Strategy to Save Lives in the Free State – VIDEO
“These upgrades will improve network capacity and availability, particularly during phase 4-6 loadshedding.”
OFM News It was previously reported that the provincial government entered into a partnership with Vodacom in November to improve essential health services in the province. In November, the company launched its e-Health strategy to improve the quality of services through modern technology.
The technology equipment showcased at the launch included electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, automation of manual paper-based processes and mobile health apps.
The Free State Government has 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 being used in countries such as Germany. The Free State may be the first South African province to use this system.
“It will help specialists to provide advice to junior doctors and other healthcare providers even remotely,” said Mondli Mvambi, spokesperson for the Free State Department of Health.
In 2023, Vodacom launched two advanced digital health solutions aimed at providing medical care to patients in public hospitals in the Free State province.
One of the systems is Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD). This system is used to track ambulance requests from the moment a call is registered to the final delivery of patients to their destination.
The features on the Bophelo mobile app. Image: Google PlayStore
The solution provides a transparent platform that allows you to effectively track ambulance movements, patient records, department resources and equipment usage.
The provincial government has launched the Bophelo mobile app for emergency medical services, which allows residents to request ambulances, receive status updates and even contact dispatchers by phone.
“The app is part of the broader modernisation of the provincial Emergency Department’s call centre capabilities,” said Mvambi.
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