Mobile operators' telecoms infrastructure has been knocked out by the flooding in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Vodacom and MTN have revealed their infrastructure has been impacted by the incessant rains in the province.
The heavy rains in KZN caused widespread infrastructure damage and power outages, resulting in over 500 MTN sites down in the region, says the operator.
In a statement, the telco says due to the serious nature of the outages, MTN has activated contingency plans for site restoration; however, access to many of the impacted sites remains a major challenge.
According to reports, 45 people have so far lost their lives in the province as as result of the heavy downpours, with the death toll expected to rise.
“The flooding in the KZN region has caused power outages at many of our sites and while we have battery backup at many of the sites, these batteries have been depleted,” says Jacqui O’Sullivan, MTN SA’s executive for corporate affairs.
“Our major challenge right now is gaining access to the sites, with many roads being damaged or flooded, preventing us from refuelling our batteries or restoring power to the site,” she explains.
The major areas impacted at this stage include Durban South, South Coast, Umlazi, Malagazi, Amanzimtoti, Ballito and Salt Rock, among others.
MTN assures impacted customers that its technicians are working around the clock to restore connectivity in their area, says the operator.
“We know those affected need to be able to contact their families and friends. Access to connectivity is our priority and we are deploying all possible resources to assist,” concludes O’Sullivan.
In a separate statement, Vodacom confirms the widespread flooding caused by recent heavy rains has impacted its network infrastructure in KZN, including over 400 towers, largely due to disruptions to electricity supply.
"As a result, certain customers in a number of coastal areas – from Ballito in the north to Amanzimtoti in the south – are currently experiencing intermittent mobile services. Additionally, some fibre customers are being impacted because of water-logged fibre ducts," says Byron Kennedy, Vodacom spokesperson
Vodacom has scalable contingency plans in place to deal with scenarios of this nature and is working hard to restore connectivity in impacted areas as quickly and as safely as possible. While efforts to restore sites are being hampered by severe damage to roads and certain facilities not being accessible due to the risk of electrical shocks, Vodacom assures impacted customers that restoring connectivity is its utmost priority.
Share