Vodacom triples its LTE coverage

Details: James Barton; Category: Wireless Networks; 09 November 2012; 8807 views

South African operator Vodacom has tripled the number of LTE-enabled base stations in its network from just under 70 at launch a month ago to over 200 in Johannesburg...

South African operator Vodacom has tripled the number of LTE-enabled base stations in its network from just under 70 at launch a month ago to over 200 in Johannesburg. It has also begun testing in Cape Town.

Zunaid Dinath, Vodacom’s Chief Officer Sales and Distribution said that “LTE represents a step change in mobile capabilities. Thanks to faster speeds, we’re able to unlock the true potential of smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. LTE has the ability to deliver stutter-free video and almost instantaneous music and picture downloads; and because it’s mobile, we can deliver this experience whether you’re at your office, on the move, or at home.”

Dinath concludes “LTE devices are still in short supply worldwide but we’re confident that we’ll be able to give our customers a broad selection of LTE devices in the near future.”

The LTE service is currently available to Vodacom Contract customers and will be available to Top-up and Prepaid customers in 2013. LTE devices will automatically switch to the 3G network when LTE coverage is not available.