from ARNOLD MULENGA in Lusaka, Zambia
Zambia Bureau
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) – IN addition to bearing the brunt of the unprecedented power outages, some mobile operators have a new challenge of fake news around the so-called network load management.
This emerged on social media over the weekend, with allegations the operators were switching off the network in different areas at different time, along the lines of the practice of the electricity utility, Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (ZESCO).
One of the companies linked to the “network load management” dismissed this.
“Please be informed that the Network Load Management Schedule circulating on social media is fake news,” it stated.
This has coincided with the Global System for Mobile Communication Association of Zambia (GSMAZ) lamenting the impact of the server power cuts on local networks.
“The telecommunications sector has also been negatively affected by the
current prolonged load shedding that the country is facing,” it stated.
Airtel, MTN and Zamtel endorsed the statement.
GSMAZ explained that the backup at more than 3 500 telecom sites of these operators, combined, were generally designed to last up to a minimum of four hours but Zambia was going through 13 to 14 hours of daily load shedding.
“There is a huge cost variance not only for the fuel and generator maintenance but also for the associated fuel logistics for the mobile network operators,” stated the association.
GSMAZ assured that it was working with its tower partners, regulators and other stakeholders to find solutions to cushion customers.
It is to deploy solar system backup power solutions.
“In the interim we continue to rely on the existing power backup solutions.”
The worst drought in decades has impacted Zambia’s generation of hydro-electricity.
Last week, Zambian police arrested a civil society organisation organizing a strike against load shedding, before it could begin in the capital, Lusaka.
– CAJ News