Load Shedding: The Invisible Blow to Your Connectivity

As South Africans, we’ve come to expect certain challenges during load shedding – dim lights, cold dinners, and disrupted routines. But there’s another unexpected casualty to Eskom’s power outages: our connectivity.

Beneath the Surface of Signal Disruptions

Eskom’s persistent load shedding is far-reaching. Beyond the immediate inconveniences, there are long-term repercussions, especially when considering the continual high stages of load shedding. A couple of reasons why we’re experiencing this include the loss of generating units, the urgency to refill emergency generation reserves, and a spike in planned maintenance.

One may ask, “How does this connect to my phone’s weakening signal during an outage?” Here’s a breakdown:

• Cellular Towers & Batteries: Almost all South African cellular towers have a trusty sidekick – a back-up battery. When load shedding strikes, this battery is the hero, ensuring the signal doesn’t falter. But here’s the catch: “The batteries take up to 18 hours to recharge.” With power outages extending beyond 10 hours and shifting daily, these batteries barely have a window to recharge fully.
• The Overburdened Network: When the power flickers back, a rush of fibre users clamors to reconnect, leading to system congestion. It’s like everyone trying to squeeze through a narrow doorway at once. The result? A significant lag due to overwhelmed network controllers.

Boosting Signals in a Powerless Era

It’s clear that as long as load shedding is a part of our lives, we need a solution. Investing in signal boosters and directional antennas is an efficient answer. As the name suggests, these devices amplify signals, ensuring that even during power disturbances, your calls and data services remain uninterrupted.

While we might not have control over Eskom’s decisions, we can certainly take steps to stay connected, irrespective of the power situation. After all, in today’s digital age, staying connected is more than just a luxury – it’s a necessity.