Vodacom Eastern Cape said on Tuesday that it has completed targeted network upgrades in the Addo region and along the R335 route to fill mobile coverage gaps in a bid to combat truck hijackings.

The R335 regional route runs between Nelson Mandela Bay and Somerset East. The area around Motherwell along the route has been designated a high-crime area and has seen a recent surge in truck hijackings.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber asked Vodacom to fix coverage gaps on the route, saying that weak mobile reception was repeatedly reported as a contributor to the area’s crime rate. Poor coverage means travellers can’t call for help and mobile tracking is unreliable.

Vodacom Eastern Cape said it has successfully upgraded 11 base station sites in Addo in the Sarah Baartman District Municipality and along the R335, which has improved mobile coverage by 10% and network capacity by 15%.

Vodacom said mobile signals have improved significantly in key locations, including the Addo central business district, the local police station, farming areas and the Addo Spar centre.

“With stronger mobile networks, communities become better equipped to prevent and respond to crime, and local businesses gain more reliable access to digital tools and markets,” said Zakhele Jiyane, managing executive of Vodacom Eastern Cape.

Vodacom Eastern Cape added that it plans to improve connectivity in the area this financial year, such as deploying high-power signal boosters over the next six months to close the remaining coverage gaps along the R335.

The telco also plans to roll out additional base stations to ensure full coverage of Addo’s central and surrounding areas, which it said will increase access to emergency and essential services and help to bridge the digital divide in underserved populations.