Vodacom Bad Signal & Dropped Calls

Currently and for the past week or so, our business has been experiencing very bad signal and dropped calls. Our business is in agriculture and is in a rural area and so cellphones are used not only for logistical and organizing methods of the business and farming, but also for security purposes. It is extremely difficult to get hold of workers, managers, drivers, staff in general, clients, suppliers etc etc. It is not only making business difficult but also very frustrating.

Living in a farming area, where farm attacks are a potential threat and where your nearest neighbour is kilometers away from you, where unplanned crop fires occur and where business is conducted, it is extremely important that there is cellphone reception, and reception and/or signal that allows you to answer and make phone calls. It is no point in having a cellphone as a security method of communication if your provider is unable to provide you suitable service or even an update as to when this is going to be addressed and/or rectified. The most frustrating is when you can answer the call but it sounds as if the person has put their phone down and is slowly walking further and further away, or as if they are a fish under water trying to speak and garble for air, before the call is abruptly cut off.

The amazing thing is that we have noticed that we have signal while our phones are not actually on calls, but the moment a call comes through the signal drops by a bar or two, and then the moment it is answered, it seems as if that one phone call, one phone takes up all the signal that Vodacom has to offer, the phone is overloaded and just can't handle the immense power so it drops the signal, cuts the call and you're back at square one, screaming at your phone to try and get signal so that you can carry on with your day and business as you should ordinarily be able to.

It is causing delays in business, in farming and in communication in general. It is frustrating and time consuming to say the least. It is easy for Vodacom to send their clients a bill each month for "calls" and / or "services" but let's be honest, the service is very disappointing to say the least. It leaves much to be desired. Our daughter-in-laws are on a competitor network and don't seem to have the problem. As an entire business, we are seriously considering moving networks to one where the signal is better and where communication with clients is at least evident.