Mobile operator Vodacom has now zero-rated what3words emergency find me website, meaning that South Africans can access the website free of charge without worrying about data costs or data running out
What3words technology, available as an app or online map, has split the world into a three-meter square grid, giving a unique combination of three words to each square.
Jorge Mendes, Vodacom consumer business unit chief officer, said, “The what3words technology forms parts of an existing eco-system of services such as the Vodacom SMS Emergency Service for deaf or speech impaired customers and the GBV Command Centre which deals with issues around gender-based violence. These services play a vital role in our society. Through the use of innovative and life-saving technology, we can assist the most vulnerable citizens in their greatest times of need.”
JP von Benecke, deputy director communications and advanced life support paramedic at Gauteng EMS, said, “The what3words platform has already saved lives by helping our responders know exactly where the emergency is in our region.
“Some of the informal settlements we cover don’t have street names, and locating the caller is incredibly challenging for our call handlers and teams on the ground. what3words and Vodacom have helped emergency services like ours move away from ‘where are you?’ ‘what can you see?’ and progress to ‘we know where you are and we’re on our way.’’
Chris Sheldrick, co-founder and CEO of what3words, said, ‘what3words has seen significant adoption by emergency services around the world, including the UK and South Africa. In South Africa, vast open landscapes, and informal settlements both suffer from lack of addressing, which makes it hard to find people in trouble. It’s amazing to see Vodacom become the first telco in the world to support their emergency services like this – and at such a huge scale.”
