Vodacom to offer 3G services in South Africa

LONDON-South African wireless carrier Vodacom intends to be the first African carrier to offer third-generation services through a deal announced with Vodafone Group plc, which is an owner of Vodacom.

The South African company said it plans to market Vodafone’s 3G services, particularly the 3G Vodafone Mobile Connect Card laptop data service aimed at businesses, in that country.

Vodacom also plans to introduce Vodafone Live! multimedia services early next year. Live! is available today in 20 countries and has more than 10 million customers, said Vodafone.

The new agreement will also allow Vodafone customers traveling in South Africa to access Vodafone’s roaming services via the Vodacom network.