To maintain this aspiration, Vodacom has several challenges, including network expansion, 5G implementation and investment in the Internet of Things (IoT). In 2022, the operator will continue to expand its 4G network to about 400 stations where this technology is not currently available, consolidating its position as the operator with more 4G stations in Mozambique.
By March 2023, Vodacom has planned to install 200 new rural stations distributed in several provinces. These will be completely powered by solar energy, which in turn shows its commitment to increasingly adopt renewable energy in its solutions.
Vodacom is investing in 5G technology seeking better processing time for downloads and uploads, faster data transfer speed per second, and savings of up to 90% in the energy consumption of the devices. In addition, the operator is also investing in the Internet of Things (IoT), a solution that offers a range of applications for various sectors, including the development of smart cities.
The Municipality of Chimoio, in Manica province is already making use of Vodacom’s IoT solutions to ensure sustainable and real-time asset management.
Later this year, Vodacom plans to install more than 500km of fiber optics. It is part of the operator’s ambition to connect Maputo to Palma by a fiber optic network infrastructure capable of meeting its current needs, as well as the challenges that the 5G network will bring.
As a way of contributing to the use of digital and technological platforms in Mozambican society, the mobile operator has invested in the “Faz Crescer” program. With this initiative, the operator is equipping different secondary school units in the country with digital laboratories, equipped with computers and free internet. Last year 50 schools were equipped, which positively impacted the lives of 24,638 students and teachers who are direct beneficiaries of computer labs and connectivity, used during ICT classes. Through this project, Vodacom aims that by 2025, at least 100 schools will be equipped with computers and free internet, benefiting 600,000 people, including students, teachers and other members of the communities.
Currently, Vodacom employs about 400 employees in the technological areas, of which 90 are women. To raise women’s interest in technology areas, the operator has developed several programs to promote women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers. Code Like a Girl, an initiative that empowers girls, with a view to increasing their knowledge and skills, through free programming classes.
Along with this initiative, it launched the project “Science is All Good for me too”, to encourage high school students, especially in the 10th grade, to consider alternative careers in STEM areas, through the promotion of vocational guidance talks, held by Vodacom employees trained in these areas. The operator also launched the program “I am the Face of Technology”, with the aim of bringing women to the forefront in this area, deconstructing the idea that men are the standard when it comes to technologies.
Vodacom is, at this moment, the operator that keeps the country connected with private VMware clouds, which gives the telephony more agility in the services offered to customers, in an increasingly competitive market. Incidentally, the operator won the 17th edition of the VMware 2021 award for Africa, which recognizes outstanding achievements by its customers in solving business problems using VMware technology. Vodacom received the award for providing superior digital voice and data solutions through the development of agile and flexible applications for its growing customer base.
As a result of these innovations, the report of an audit conducted this year on the three operators operating in the country, by Umlaut – a leading German mobile network testing and benchmarking firm, ranked Vodacom as the operator with the highest score in voice and data services.
“Vodacom Mozambique continues to be at the forefront in terms of offering products and services that meet the growing customer demand for transformative solutions. We are the leading mobile network provider in the country, with over seven million subscribers. Since our establishment in 2003, we have defined as our main objective to provide a reliable mobile and data service, as well as introduce new communication technologies to benefit Mozambique and Mozambicans,” said Rui Lousã, Chief Technology Officer of Vodacom Mozambique.
The source concluded that “We are moving towards digital transformation, which will impact on the improvement of our services and service channels, in order to enhance the experience of our customers. For this to happen, we have been investing for the past 3 years in “building” a new area within Vodacom, dedicated to Software development. We believe in local talent, so we have been trying to recruit the best talent in the local market as well as associate ourselves in several training programs with foreign partners such as AWS and Cloud Guru, so that we can retrain part of our team in these new technologies.We have also made some of these programs available to the general public, such as recently the partnership with Udacity where we made available “scholarships” for Mozambican women between 20 and 35 years old.”
