(Ecofin Agency) - Mobile phone operator MTN South Africa announced it has invested more than R10 billion ($692.14 million) to improve the quality and capacity of its telecom network this year. The amount could increase as the company is planning to further strengthen the quality and capacity of the network in densely populated areas.

Jacqui O'Sullivan, MTN SA's Director of Corporate Affairs, explained that the company wants to give its customers a better experience across the whole territory. “This network upgrade exercise seeks to enrich the experience of our customers who will be traveling throughout the length and breadth of this beautiful country either on holiday or visiting loved ones,” he said.

The areas that have been identified to benefit from network optimization are the main roads, including the N1 connecting Cape Town and Limpopo, the N3 connecting Gauteng and Durban, the N12 connecting Johannesburg and the Garden Route, the N2 connecting Cape Town and Durban, the N4 connecting Pretoria and Mozambique and the N7 connecting Cape Town and Namibia.

Network optimization will also lead to the deployment of new base stations and technological upgrades on some 3G and LTE stations, even in the most remote areas, said Giovanni Chiarelli, MTN SA's Director of Technology and Information.