Vodacom spends over R1 billion per year on batteries - Joosub

[McGuywer]

K

And yet when load shedding hits, the whole network in that area crashes......so yeah sorry I don't believe it. Don't believe they are replacing batteries. If they station goes down......so be it. Will come back when electricity comes back

keep in mind, when Loadshedding hits, all those WiFi connected devices switch to Mobile data. That puts a strain on the tower.

 

[LazyLion]

How does one use a stolen battery like that in a shack context? The charger alone would be ridiculously expensive.
Never mind the expertise in hooking it up in some kind of usable configuration.
So where are these things actually being sold off to and used?

 

[BBSA]

This is one reason why I moved to Vodacom.

 

[RudderVator]

How does one use a stolen battery like that in a shack context? The charger alone would be ridiculously expensive.
Never mind the expertise in hooking it up in some kind of usable configuration.
So where are these things actually being sold off to and used?

Cannot even begin to count how many people on FB marketplace are blatantly selling stolen batteries, solar panels for home inverter systems! Ironically loadshedding itself is driving the market for cell tower battery theft syndicates.

I once reported a suspicious ad to Telkom fraud about small Telkom/Bosch branded solar panels being sold all over on marketplace. Didn't even get a reply...

 

[Creag]

One heckuva uphill battle for the likes of VC.

 

[Martin 007]

Stealing strategic (life saving) equipment should carry the minimum sentence of the death penalty. No loop holes no exceptions. If you are not able to make a call people's lives are in danger. We desperately need the death penalty back.