Lest we forget!
Do not rest on your laurels and assume load shedding is gone forever. Eskom has a new CEO, Dan Marokane, and he’s also unable to commit that we’ve seen the last of the power cuts when interviewed by eNCA. This is despite having gone months on end without being switched off.
Now, this comes back to you not folding your arms and relaxing – it will be back to reality sooner than you can imagine – be proactive and shake the tree while there’s still time. Remember, it usually pops up from nowhere, and it’s triggered by almost anything.
A Modern Necessity
Like water is a necessity for life, electricity is necessary for the internet, with which we can’t do much without in this day and age. Communications, banking, shopping, working, playing… everything these days is somehow reliant on the internet to function properly.
Load shedding or any power outage, for that matter, can have a significant impact on your internet access, and on the fibre network itself – affecting the network’s performance, which can cause increased latency and the speed of your internet connection, network equipment failure and full-on internet outages.
Reducing the Impact
Bradley Bekker, Evotel General Manager, has indicated the importance and value the internet has for our customers: “One thing they (clients) can be sure of is that Evotel has done everything to reduce the impact load shedding has on our network.
“We are ensuring that we have adequate backup power supply to keep their internet connection active through the worst of load shedding. In short, you will always have access to Evotel’s fibre internet at home unless you don’t have power at your house.”
According to Bekker, the company has batteries, on-site generators and standby generators in close proximity to their network, for when it is needed.
The company is also making sure that all its power cables, connections and equipment are serviced and in good operating condition to curb any power outages that can affect the network up-time.
“Additionally, we closely monitor power supply to identify any potential issues that might arise and take action before these issues become serious problems that will affect the network going down,” Bekker added, as South Africa is still in a state of slumber.
Beating Load Shedding
As a user, you simply need to generate enough power at home to run your Optical Network Terminator (ONT) to connect to your ISPs (internet service provider) on the Evotel fibre network and run your router, and of course, any device you use to browse and play on the internet – TV, PC, laptop, mobile phone, etc.
There are many back-up power generating solutions on the market today to be ready for the right moment when someone from MegaWatt Park decides to switch you off.
These include UPSs (uninterrupted power supplies), fuel generators and inverters.
