Vodacom's additional measures against loadshedding
As stage 4 loadshedding continues, cellular provider Vodacom has assured its customers that it has put proactive measures in place to prevent an impact on cell phone users.
Eskom announced that stage 4 loadshedding will continue until 11 pm on Monday and be rolled out again on Tuesday.
Vodacom's spokesperson Byron Kennedy says they have deployed additional resources - including batteries and generators at numerous sites across the country.
Vodacom says when load shedding occurs, a cellphone tower remains fully functional for as long as the batteries last or the backup generator keeps running.
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"Once power is fully depleted, the tower stops working entirely and, depending on the configuration of nearby towers, may cause a coverage area to black out entirely or for customers to experience intermittent service.
"Generators run on diesel, which means they can continue to run while being refuelled.
"Batteries, on the other hand, will last anywhere from two to eight hours before they will need electricity to recharge."
Loadshedding has many implications for the cellular provider and Vodacom says it has been spending a significant amount of money on backup power solutions such as diesel generators and batteries to maintain power.
Kenndy says 'additional input costs and revenue losses amount to tens of millions of rands.'
Read how loadshedding is affecting Vodacom :