Vodacom Tanzania has undertaken a major upgrade of its infrastructure including its charging system and network coverage in a move aimed at improving its network resilience and user experience.
This is in response to a series of disruptions that affected its customers in Tanzania, with the company noting that the extensive upgrade will strengthen its infrastructure and enable a seamless experience for users.
Vodacom Tanzania, the biggest telecommunications company in Tanzania and a subsidiary of South African Vodacom Group, reckons that the upgrade will lead to faster internet speeds, reduced network congestion, and a more reliable network experience.
“At Vodacom, we are committed to leading in innovation and continuously improving the quality of services we provide. To stay at the cutting edge of technology and offer our customers the best possible experience, we are investing in significant infrastructure upgrades across our network,” said Philip Besiimire, Vodacom Tanzania’s Managing Director.
Besiimire acknowledged the complex nature of these upgrades, which may lead to occasional disruptions as the new systems are integrated.
"We apologise for any inconvenience and assure you that we are working diligently to keep disruptions to a minimum. This exercise is planned to conclude in a few weeks after which we expect a stronger, more resilient network to benefit all our customers," he added.
The internet disruptions in Tanzania and other Eastern African countries, including Kenya, started on May 12, 2024, following the failure of an undersea cable between Mozambique and South Africa.
However, Vodacom quickly restored the connectivity and refunded customers who had recharged or had bundles that were not consumed due to the outage.
The telco has however moved to provide a permanent solution that will minimise internet disruptions in Tanzania.
It has since committed to expand its network coverage, particularly in rural and underserved areas, by deploying new network sites and upgrading existing ones. It is also actively expanding its 4G network to provide faster and more reliable internet access.
Vodacom said it is increasing data capacity through investments in fiber infrastructure and submarine cables even as modernizes its IT systems, including the payment system, to improve efficiency and security.
