Rather than start a new thread, 01/12/20 The AustralianLets hope...

Rather than start a new thread, 01/12/20 The Australian
Lets hope we get a bite

Battery backups for phone towersEXCLUSIVE: The Federal Government will fund extending the battery backup capability of 467 mobile phone towers as the country braces for another worrying bushfire season.It says power failure rather than direct fire damage is the major reason for mobile outages in fire areas, and better battery backup capability on towers means mobile networks will stay online longer in areas facing the onslaught of fires.The Government says it is providing $13.2 million to Telstra, Optus and TPG to extend the battery back up of the 467 mobile phone towers to provide a minimum of 12 hours of back-up power.“Telecommunications – including mobile phone towers – rely on power to operate,” says Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher.“This investment will allow mobile phone towers to keep operating for at least 12 hours after the power goes out, making a real difference for communities during and after a natural disaster,” Mr Fletcher says.The government says a report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority found that mobile network outages during the 2019-20 bushfires were overwhelmingly due to loss of power rather than fire damage.It says the increase in battery power will increase backup operation from between 3 to 8 hours up to at least 12 hours, where feasible.It says the peak industry body for Australia’s energy networks and the peak body for Australia’s telecommunications industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding on November 4 to further improve collaboration and knowledge-sharing between the two sectors for dealing with emergency situations.