Vodacom, MTN, Telkom can't say much about tower batteries for fear of syndicates

Jan

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Criminal syndicates targeting South Africa's cellphone towers

South Africa's mobile operators are reluctant to reveal the providers and brands of the batteries they use to keep their networks online during load-shedding due to the risk of being targeted by criminals.

Criminal syndicates seek high-capacity batteries as they can fetch high values on the black market.
 
I blame the cANCer. They are soley responsible for what is happening now due to ineptness, corruption, negligence, blah blah fukking blah (add nauseam) Add the creche teacher who is a weak coward of a police minister and his merry band of lazy (let's add in drunkardness for good measure) you get this sh|tshow that is South Africa led by a bunch of thieving fat slimy dog turds.
 
I blame the cANCer. They are soley responsible for what is happening now due to ineptness, corruption, negligence, blah blah fukking blah (add nauseam) Add the creche teacher who is a weak coward of a police minister and his merry band of lazy (let's add in drunkardness for good measure) you get this sh|tshow that is South Africa led by a bunch of thieving fat slimy dog turds.
And that still makes them sound like angels.
 
  • In far-flung areas of our country, partnering with local community members and SAPS to secure sites
  • Working closely with law enforcement agencies and security companies to arrest thieves for prosecution
In one Eastern Cape area, MTN are only prepared to pay local security companies R500/month/tower
and the local security company is liable for the cost of the stolen batteries.
Sounds like a deal :) This private security company has reduced crime (mainly stock theft by 90%)

When MTN cannot get their generators up a 4x4 track to their tower, farmers step
in an haul their generator up with a 4x4 tractor, the 4x4 track was super slippery
when it was raining

"Someone" stole the generator from this site guess nobody would question a 4x4 vehicle with a generator
 
How about the Cell companies ask the battery supplier to provide custom BMS firmware that only works with Cell inverters?

If the battery gets stolen, it will be a brick.
Perhaps they could hide a Apple AirTag inside?

Too complicated and too technical?
 
How about the Cell companies ask the battery supplier to provide custom BMS firmware that only works with Cell inverters?

If the battery gets stolen, it will be a brick.
Perhaps they could hide a Apple AirTag inside?

Too complicated and too technical?
I believe that is already in place, but either they bypass it or they just wreck the whole enclosure and container creating extended down-time anyways
 
Seems to me to be a perfect reason to create more jobs in the country, but nooo, the fat cats at the top are to greedy. Heaven forbid their salaries need to stay the same or drop a little. I guess that's the problem of the little people.
 
Is Ikeja a registered ISP that is doing things ethically? I'm just curious. I stayed in delft in Capetown, I stated there for 2 days and had to leave because there was no cell signal . Zero , nothing it was like being in an underground tunnel. Everyone there was used to it, and they are all using this Ikeja internet to connect. I told the landlord I suspect someone might have deliberately vandalized the cell towers there or is blocking the signal so everyone uses ikeja in that area. I packed my bags and left and didn't get a refund on my rent.
 
Is Ikeja a registered ISP that is doing things ethically? I'm just curious. I stayed in delft in Capetown, I stated there for 2 days and had to leave because there was no cell signal . Zero , nothing it was like being in an underground tunnel. Everyone there was used to it, and they are all using this Ikeja internet to connect. I told the landlord I suspect someone might have deliberately vandalized the cell towers there or is blocking the signal so everyone uses ikeja in that area. I packed my bags and left and didn't get a refund on my rent.
..and if you don't know ikeja internet, you've never been in the places where blacks and colored people live. Even where I now there is is ikeja wifi. I think its owned by the Somalian people.
 
8 hours of load shedding today and the signal never dropped once
 
How about the Cell companies ask the battery supplier to provide custom BMS firmware that only works with Cell inverters?

If the battery gets stolen, it will be a brick.
Perhaps they could hide a Apple AirTag inside?

Too complicated and too technical?
Also used to wonder that.

Thing is, if you rip out the battery from the enclosure and remove the BMS circuitry, you can rather easily get it to function again as a battery for other purposes.
 
..and if you don't know ikeja internet, you've never been in the places where blacks and colored people live. Even where I now there is is ikeja wifi. I think its owned by the Somalian people.
Do they have a website?
 
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