Vodacom has begun offering fourth-generation (4G) mobile broadband access based on long-term evolution (LTE) technology to its prepaid customers for the first time. Until now, only contract users had access to the operator’s 4G/LTE network.
4G networks offer significantly faster download and upload speeds in comparison to third-generation networks.
The network, which was launched in October 2012, has now been opened to both prepaid and top-up customers.
CEO Shameel Joosub says Vodacom has 600 live 4G sites covering parts of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria and Durban. The operator plans to expand this number to a thousand by the end of 2013.
“This is the culmination of a massive investment in high-speed fibre transmission and an overhaul of our radio network countrywide,” Joosub says in a statement.
All Vodacom customers who have a supported 4G/LTE device and 64kB or larger Sim card will be provisioned automatically for the service within 24 hours of the device being registered on the network. In certain instances, the settings may need to be changed directly on the device, the operator says.
4G data is billed at the same price as older access technologies. — (c) 2013 NewsCentral Media