Vodacom expands LTE network

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 and testing has begun in Cape Town.

Zunaid Dinath, Vodacom’s chief officer for Sales and Distribution said the next generation technology 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,” he explains.

In addition to the wider network coverage, Vodacom now has LTE devices on sale at Vodacom World in Midrand and selected Vodacom outlets across Gauteng. Customers can now buy the Samsung Galaxy S III LTE, Vodafone K5006 and Alcatel One Touch L100V LTE dongle modems on several contract packages.

“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. The LTE devices will automatically switch to the 3G network when LTE coverage is not available.