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We’re all familiar with it: one minute you're living your best life, flipping through channels, binge-watching your favourite show, or cooking up a storm, and the next, sudden darkness! Load shedding not only leaves us in the dark – but often times bored or unproductive, and more so without the use of our mobile devices and connectivity.
With load shedding being ramped up in the new year, it's been difficult to stay on top of the constant switches between levels and plan accordingly, and we constantly find ourselves at the mercy of Eskom.
Even if you're one of those people who have invested in alternative sources to power your home during load shedding, you can still find yourself without a signal on your mobile devices - because our local cellphone towers operate with electricity from the grid.
In this blog, we're going to get a better look at how load shedding affects your connectivity and whether there are things you can do to maintain a good signal even during prolonged hours of load shedding.
Load shedding is caused by Eskom not being able to generate enough electricity to meet the country’s demand. There are various reasons for this, but the two main ones are:
1) Maintenance issues: Eskom has to regularly maintain its power stations, and sometimes this maintenance takes longer than expected. This can lead to a shortfall in electricity.
2) High demand: South Africa is an industrialised country, and there are times when the demand for electricity is very high (usually during winter). This can also lead to a shortfall in electricity.
However, when load shedding is implemented, it can cause internet and cellular coverage areas to black out entirely.
There are currently 8 stages that Eskom imposes when they need to conserve electricity.
Stage 1: This is the least serious stage. Only 1,000 megawatts will be shed at a time for 2 - 2.5 hours at a time.
Stage 2: This is when things start getting a bit more serious. 2,000MW will be shed at a time for 2 - 2.5 hours at a time.
Stage 3: This is where things really start getting serious. 3,000MW will be shed off at a time for 2 - 2.5 hours at a time.
Stage 4: This is the most serious stage. 4,000MW will be shed at a time for 2 - 4.5 hours at a time.
Stages 5: This happens when Eskom needs to shed 5,000 megawatts of power, meaning some South Africans will go without
up to 8 hours of electricity in the day.
Stage 6: This stage was most recently implemented, shedding 6,000MW of power to stabilise the grid. This left some areas of SA with 8-12 hours of outages in a 24-hour cycle.
Stage 7 and 8: These sessions are not currently being used but do encompass the highest frequency of power cuts; it may be imposed if the situation worsens. In these stages, areas can experience up to 14 hours of load shedding a day.
You can keep track of the schedule either through the Eskom Se Push app or by downloading the schedule for your area from your municipality's website.
Network operators are aware that their services experience notable complications around the country during the different stages of load shedding.
When a cellphone tower goes out during a power outage, it will run for as long as it has a backup system in place, such as a generator or battery. The strength or stability of your mobile signal often depends on how many cell phone towers there are in your area, and whether or not they have a backup power supply.
For instance, if you’re in an area with fewer towers and one of those bases goes out, this may cause you to have incredibly unreliable cellphone reception and signal. The issue with most cellphone tower generators or batteries is that they take up to 18 hours to recharge and when the load shedding schedule is high, those batteries can’t fully replenish whilst the power is back on.
Unfortunately, many South African base stations are also a target for criminal theft and vandalism. This means the measures put in place to offset the effects of load shedding are spoiled.
The theft of batteries and generators at cellphone towers has reached “crisis level” according to the Executive of Corporate Affairs for MTN SA, Jacqui O’Sullivan. She said, “Although MTN has improved security and is making strides in limiting instances of theft and vandalism with the assistance of the police, the increase in power outages has made this issue even more pressing.”
This means, many South African service providers have taken serious steps to counter these acts of stealing, which not only impact their business but the connectivity of many South Africans. And although these network providers are actively seeking ways to mitigate the effects of load shedding, the operation and deployment of generators and backup batteries are challenging and costly, costing “tens of millions of Rands”.
With load shedding sometimes being announced at the drop of a hat, O'Sullivan stated that networks do not get enough time for the batteries to recharge to full capacity before it kicks in.
O'Sullivan said, “These batteries generally have a capacity of 6 to 12 hours, depending on the site category, and require 12 to 18 hours to recharge. The constant outages are starting to have a direct impact on the performance of the batteries. If outages continue, the battery’s integrity is compromised because of insufficient time to recharge and due to the excessive drain on the battery.”
O'Sullivan also mentioned about 20% of MTN's network experiences outages at any given time during stage 4 load shedding, despite the fact that the majority of their sites have been equipped with battery backup systems.
A spokesperson for Cell C, commented, “Additionally, electricity surges when power returns on may mean that equipment at base stations are affected and need to be replaced or rebooted before those sites can be restored."
A Vodacom spokesperson stated cellphone networks can undergo heavy strain during load shedding. The operator said, “When electricity is cut to a cellphone tower, it will remain fully functional for as long as the batteries last or the backup generator keeps running. ”
“Once the backup power is depleted, the tower stops working and, depending on the configuration of nearby towers, may cause a coverage outage or for customers to experience intermittent service in a particular area.”
1. Check your signal strength before load shedding starts: By checking the signal in your area before load shedding begins, you’ll have a better idea of what to expect and can plan accordingly.
2. Keep your phone charged: This one is pretty self-explanatory. If there’s no power, you can’t charge your phone. So make
sure to have it fully recharged before load shedding hits. This is also important in case of emergencies, as most devices are enabled with an 'emergency call' function that allows your device to connect to any nearby network tower to make calls to emergency services.
3. Use WiFi Calling: If you have access to WiFi, use WiFi calling to make calls and send messages instead of using your mobile data.
4. Turn off unnecessary apps: When the power goes out, every bit of battery life counts. So make sure to turn off any apps that you don’t need running in the background as it can cause an additional strain on your battery.
5. Keep your phone cool: Believe it or not, heat also has an impact on your battery life and can actually drain your battery faster. So if you can, keep your phone in a cool, dry place during load shedding.
6. Put your phone on airplane mode: This will help to conserve battery life.
7. Use a power bank: If you have one, use a power bank to keep your phone charged during load shedding.
8. Buy a solar charger: Solar chargers are a great way to keep your devices charged when there’s no power.
9. Invest in a backup battery: Back-up batteries are another great way to keep your devices charged during an outage.
10. Stay calm and carry on: We know it’s hard, but try not to stress too much about the situation. Load shedding is now just a fact of life in South Africa and, as frustrating as it can be, it won’t last forever.
So, while there is an active effort to lessen the effects of load shedding in South Africa, it does seem as though it is an issue we will have to get comfortable with. Although we may have to adjust to it, you can still do it using the best mobile deal to suit your needs.
At Mobile Store, we offer the latest mobile deals across various networks. Whether you are looking for a new phone or an upgrade, call us and we will get it to you quickly and efficiently. All offers are available for a limited period only as we like to keep our specials as current as possible.
So if you’re looking for the best cellphone deals in South Africa, look no further than Mobile Store. We will make sure you stay connected even when the power is out!
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