With festive session around the corner, MTN continues to appeal to communities to report theft and vandalism of network towers.
According to a statement from the telco: “The increasing theft of back-up batteries and vandalism of infrastructure across the country has resulted in mobile network operators like MTN having to shut down some of their cellphone towers, leading to strain on the wider network and diminishing quality of coverage in certain parts of the country.
“Then there are the outages and network downtime that needs to be factored in whilst operators replace lost batteries, repair damage to sites, and correct and maintain the towers – leaving South Africans without cellphone and internet connectivity for undeterminable periods of time.”
Ernest Paul, GM: MTN Network Operations, comments: “Although great strides have been made in the prevention and recovery of stolen batteries, it is still a concern.
“Particularly now, as we know that crime spikes in December, which means that more batteries may be stolen – and more consumers may be left unconnected.”
Not only does the theft of back-up batteries at network towers our day-to-day communication and access to network-based services, it also poses real safety and security risks.
Home security alarm systems, for example, use network signal to send a distress signal to control rooms for security response. The same applies for vehicle tracking devices in an event of theft or hijacking, and personal safety and GPS location apps.
“The festive season is a time for connecting with friends and family. It is also a time when South Africans need to be able to call emergency services should they find themselves in dangerous situations, whether on holiday, at home, or on the roads,” Paul says. “Without connection to a cellphone network this is impossible.”
Members of the public are urged to report suspected battery theft cases to the Bidvest Protea Coin Hotline on 086 101 1721, the MTN Fraud Line on 083 123 7867, or email anonymous@tipoffs.com.