South Africa's emergency responders hampered by load-shedding

[Jan]

Load-shedding hamstrings paramedics in South Africa

The effects of load-shedding go beyond inconvenience and economic loss, with the rotational power cuts also posing a risk to public safety.

Emergency medical service (EMS) ER24 told MyBroadband that traffic caused by load-shedding can increase emergency response times, and unstable cellular networks can result in emergency calls failing to connect.

 

[Lupus]

No really??

 

[ToxicBunny]

I generally feel for the guys in the more Rural areas on this front.

I've experienced Load Shedding in a rural(ish) area in KZN twice recently, and the cell signal disappears the second the power drops....

 

[Rickster]

Anyone know how much power a cell tower draws? I'm asking because wouldnt solar be viable? Of course at night it wont do anything.


How many 535W panels would one average tower need?

 

[Neuk_]

Anyone know how much power a cell tower draws? I'm asking because wouldnt solar be viable? Of course at night it wont do anything.


How many 535W panels would one average tower need?

Most cell towers used to have battery backup until most batteries in cellphone towers started being stolen and I think most cellular providers started not replacing the batteries.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

No really??

Nature of the beast, we rely too heavily on a commodity, which has a single point of failure. That point of failure is Eskom. End of story.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

Anyone know how much power a cell tower draws? I'm asking because wouldnt solar be viable? Of course at night it wont do anything.


How many 535W panels would one average tower need?

Wanna take bets on how long before our fellow countrymen steal the panels, probably faster than they do the batteries.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

Most cell towers used to have battery backup until most batteries in cellphone towers started being stolen and I think most cellular providers started not replacing the batteries.

Being there is no law enforcement, and no consequences for stealing, either, you stop supplying batteries for the thieves to steal, or you hire a mercenary force, to kill perpetrators. That latter is not acceptable, so the former option gets implemented.