Underground connection now available on Gautrain
Making these facilities available represents the first phase of a much broader engineering project
AS from July 3 there will be mobile communication service (data and voice) coverage for Vodacom and MTN subscribers in the Gautrain underground stations at Sandton, Rosebank and Park stations.
Some Gautrain commuters would have already started experiencing the benefit of this connectivity as from July 1 even though the system is still in a testing phase until July 3.
The Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Dr Ismail Vadi, is pleased to note that progress has been made with regards to the Gautrain cellular project.
Making these facilities available represents the first phase of a much broader engineering project which will see the installation of additional technical infrastructure that will extend across the entire Gautrain route.
The next step will be to allow for the improvement of voice and data coverage in the Gautrain tunnels and along the entire route. Discussions are currently underway with the mobile network operators in this regard and we cannot put exact timelines on the roll-out thereof, Vadi said.
The Strategic Partners Group (SPG), an empowerment partner of the Bombela Concession Company which has built and now operates the Gautrain, has completed its work on the creation of a technological environment that will enable Gautrain commuters to make use of their mobile phones and other mobile devices to make phone calls and connect to the internet underground at the Sandton, Park and Rosebank stations.
SPG’s executive chairman Mzolisi Diliza says the conclusion of phase one of the project, which was undertaken in partnership with the Gautrain Management Agency, the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, the Bombela Concession Company, Vodacom and MTN, is an important addition to the services and benefits the world-class Gautrain extends to the thousands of South Africans and tourists who use it every day as a transport amenity of choice.
“Completion of this initial part of the assignment, which needed to be executed in a highly complex technical and operational environment, is a notable milestone for SPG. We continue to engage with our partners to expedite the strategic and operational imperatives that are needed to bring finalisation to an exercise that ultimately will give all Gautrain commuters, wherever they find themselves on the system, seamless connectivity to the outside world.”
