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Load-shedding doesn’t only mean being in the dark. It also results in the loss of cellphone connection, telecommunication giants MTN and Vodacom have confirmed.
Both network providers said they had invested in generators and back-up batteries to maintain communication during load-shedding, but MTN conceded these were not always sufficient.
“Operational impact was still felt where the frequency of the load-shedding exceeded the capacity of the back-up devices. Our batteries generally have a capacity of six to 12 hours, dependent on the site category, and require 12 to 18 hours to recharge, dependent on the battery technology type. Where consecutive load-shedding took place, batteries were unable to fully recharge, resulting in reduced back-up times,” MTN said.
The communication giant said it had invested more than R100-million in the past year, tackling theft and vandalism of these back-up resources, but this was not always sufficient.
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By: Naledi Shange
Source: TMG Digital
