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Vodacom’s
proposed
acquisition of Neotel
Our proposed acquisition of Neotel continued up
until March 2016 when we announced that despite
concerted efforts the transaction would not be progressed
owing to regulatory complexities and certain conditions
precedent not being fulfilled. We remain committed to
accelerating business in the fixed-line space, especially in the
rollout of fibre to the home and fibre to the business; we will
continue to drive to become an alternative for customers in this
space. Neotel was also very important with regard to the
access to spectrum which it presented. Spectrum is vital in
delivering new technology and efficiently rolling out
broadband services to all customers. We are pursuing
various options to gain access to spectrum, while
ensuring that we maximise the resource
we currently have access to.
Over-the-Top
(OTT) services
in South Africa
During the year we participated in a session
set by government’s Parliamentary Portfolio
Committee on Telecoms and Postal Services.
The session was attended by sector stakeholders with
the aim of improving understanding of policy and
possible regulation on OTT players. OTT is a global
debate that has found traction in South Africa.
Vodacom’s position is that the OTT issue requires
further substantive discussion, so that South Africa
can contribute to the debate and charter a
way forward that considers impacts on
investment, security and
customer needs.
Our performance
Our business
Governance review
Administration
Overview
Engaging stakeholders
in our Future Agenda
Seminar series
During the year, we hosted sessions for
stakeholders to meet to discuss topical issues
and challenges.
•
In May 2015, we held a session on the ‘future
of work’ to discuss the shift from old models of
work dominated by the division of labour, the
supervision of labour, and payment of workers
for their time or their tasks, to a shift towards
services, the globalisation of supply chains, the
growth of ubiquitous technology and the
increased pressure on resources.
•
In July 2015, we hosted a session on food
security and reviewed the Connected Farmer
report produced by Accenture on behalf of
Vodafone Group.
•
We also participated in a ‘future of health’
session hosted by Deloitte and the national
department of health. Vodacom used the
platform to showcase its mHealth solutions.