BM
Bongumusa M

1 reviews | Active since Jun 2021

06 Jul 2021, 17:38

Digital and internet apartheid by ISPs - Vodacom

For the past number of years I have tried to ask for fibre from Vodacom, I have submitted forms. I have seen Vodacom activations in suburbs, online but none have reached townships, definitely not Umlazi and other eThekwini townships. We also want fibre too.

Why are township people, the Black majority subjected to expensive data connectivity prices while suburbia (overwhelmingly not Black) has fibre which has better speeds and is cheaper? Who do they get service providers reaching out for interest but we don't? We use the internet too, a lot.

If you go outside the Umlazi eThekwini Metropolitan Polise Service station you will see a number of young people on their mobile devices, using the available Wi-Fi. During exams times you will see learners with their books, laptops, phone and tablets studying while using WiFi.

It's simply can't be that the area whose people earn the least has worse service, worse speeds at a higher price and you have done nothing to remedy the situation. This is highly prejudicial and the fact that townships are almost exclusively Black, suburbs being mostly white, I dare say it is tantamount to being a form of ****** that this exist.

We can barely work from home, which means we are at high risk of contracting Covid-19 as we travel further to work places. Our kids have a harder time learning remotely, there is low uptake and ability to start home based digital businesses.

The people who are advantaged are in suburbs.

How can this be in an African country that Africans are disadvanted first and always as a matter of course. Internet services are new, post 1994 but the service is so discriminatory it is digital apartheid.

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Replies (1)
Vodacom
Vodacom's reply07 Jul 2021, 08:06
Official
 Dear Customer, Thank you for making us aware of your complaint. Kindly be advised that a consultant will make contact with you in due course to assist with your query. ***Please note*** Beware of phishing ****s. Vodacom will not contact you via Whatsapp to request your personal details Regards, Vodacom Consumer Website Team