Vodacom Lesotho calls for response to network sabotage
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Thereporter
Illustrative image · Barbara Reis · Pexels · Licence PexelsVodacom Lesotho is calling for a coordinated national response to repeated damage to its telecommunications infrastructure, which is disrupting communications and connectivity across the country. The acts affect cables, electrical systems and network equipment, according to Ts’epo Ntaopane, the operator’s head of external and regulatory affairs.
Vodacom Lesotho is calling for a coordinated response to the sabotage of its telecommunications facilities, which is disrupting essential services and connectivity in the country. Ts’epo Ntaopane, the operator’s head of external and regulatory affairs, made the appeal after a series of attacks targeting network sites.
Reported acts include the cutting of communication cables, damage to electrical systems and equipment, and the destruction of material needed to operate the facilities. The disruptions affect emergency communications, digital learning, businesses, mobile financial services and the connectivity of public institutions, particularly in the health and security sectors, Ntaopane said.
Vodacom says repairing and replacing equipment requires financial resources, specialist skills and time, at the expense of investment in expanding and improving the network. The company is urging communities to report suspicious activity and asking scrap dealers and recyclers to refuse cables, batteries or solar equipment that may have been stolen.
Ntaopane warned that sabotage deprives communities of essential communications and makes it harder to make emergency calls and access assistance. He said it also leads to lost revenue and additional operating costs, while slowing the expansion of coverage in underserved areas.
