Rural coverage is coming

For most South Africans living without a cellphone is unimaginable. But for many it's a reality.

Dudu Chonco has lived all her life in a small village on a hill in Msinga in KwaZulu-Natal. Two years ago her brother, who works in Pietermaritzburg, sent her a cellphone for her birthday.

"I was very excited and was ready to call my brother and other relatives. But the phone did not work. I walked around holding up the phone but it just did not work," she said.

Unable to make or receive calls, she sold the phone and, like the rest of her village, assumed that there was no network coverage in their area.

"I feel like we are left out of this world of technology. Life with a cellphone seems so much easier and people with cellphones have much more information than we who don't," she said.

KwaZulu-Natal government leaders last week said the government was intervening to ensure wall-to-wall cellular network coverage in the province this year.

"Rural communities are most affected in this regard. But we are aware that the problem is not confined to rural areas. We want all our people to enjoy the full benefits of advances in technology," the government said.

Alberts Breed, who heads network service provider Vodacom in KwaZulu-Natal, said more base stations were needed in many parts of the country to connect communities. But the erection of stations was often opposed by communities.

"Opposition is having a serious impact on rolling out coverage. Without the sites, we cannot provide coverage," he said.

Vodacom spokesman Richard Boorman said that additional sites for covered areas have also been opposed. He said Vodacom receives numerous requests from the public for coverage.

"We also have to look at costs to set up a base station. The average cost is about R1.5-million. We have to balance that with the population in that area," he said.