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Battery Backup for Mobile Masts |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 43
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Battery Backup for Mobile Masts
In my local area, none of the MBNL sites have battery backup, meaning when there is a local power cut, the signal goes completely for both Three and EE.
I remember that back when I was with Orange that most of their sites had battery backup for at least the 2G component of their service. Why did MBNL not continue this policy? O2 and Voda are unaffected locally as both have backup power for their sites. jayteedc |
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 14,541
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MBNL was designed as a low cost network, I think only main sites have backup, it was probably just a cost decision.
Most power cuts are very localised and you can roam to any available network for 999 calls as of about 2010 when that was implemented, so there's a good chance you'll get a more distant network on 1 of the operators in most cases. |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Scotland
Posts: 4,965
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Can't say during major power cuts in North Scotland that I've ever been without signal. I've heard of it in the Island areas but if your in a village, town or city covered by a few masts it really shouldn't be a problem unless you want data as other masts will take over and adjust output.
It's pretty pointless as the batteries wouldn't last long with the tech that's now in place. It was great when you had a 2G only site but this isn't the case now and Councils would likely have issues with on street cab sizes. There is no guarante the backhaul won't go down too. The larger off street multi user sites sometimes have UPS systems anyways. I've heard of some cabs having battery back ups in critical areas but this was to avoid brief power outages ie a few mins to stop the mast going down if the mains got "lumpy" it also allowed it to shout out a "night night" to the network to alert them. |
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Scotland
Posts: 4,965
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Quote:
MBNL was designed as a low cost network, I think only main sites have backup, it was probably just a cost decision.
Most power cuts are very localised and you can roam to any available network for 999 calls as of about 2010 when that was implemented, so there's a good chance you'll get a more distant network on 1 of the operators in most cases. |
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#5 |
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Guest
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 310
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Quote:
MBNL was designed as a low cost network, I think only main sites have backup, it was probably just a cost decision.
Most power cuts are very localised and you can roam to any available network for 999 calls as of about 2010 when that was implemented, so there's a good chance you'll get a more distant network on 1 of the operators in most cases. |
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: In the future....
Posts: 11,257
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Quote:
999 "roaming" has been around far longer than 2010.. Well sort of.
http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/news/connecting-citizens/ |
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Newcastle
Posts: 1,510
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Nevermind, google answered my question
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: North West
Posts: 4,883
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Quote:
999 "roaming" has been around far longer than 2010.. Well sort of.
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,458
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Mbnl goes offline in mid Wales when there is a power cut. O2 stays online.
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Newcastle
Posts: 1,510
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I read they disabled emergency calls without a sim card, I guess they were getting a lot of untraceable hoax calls or something?
Otherwise it seems stupid, yeah 99% of people are going to have a SIM in their phone but I bet there are a few lives to be saved by being able to call without a sim. Source (Point 5): http://www.redcross.org.uk/en/What-w...activities/999 |
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Totnes, Devon
Posts: 6,683
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But surely this would only work if people know about it.
I might try to dial 112 if my phone said no service but most people wouldn't know they could. I thought some handsets said "emergency" if other networks were detected but most don't do they? |
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,140
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On my galaxy it says emergency calls and has bars of signal , iphone just says no service . So I wouldnt even know if I had service from another network to make an emergency call
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,662
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Quote:
Unless I am mistaken the networks started working together on such a scheme around 2004/2005. I have known customers of different networks roaming on to others when an emergency call is needed. I think prior to OFCOM mandating it, all of the networks had a gentlemens agreement in respect of this. I think it was also extended to other infrastructure owned by Network Rail, although that would need clarifying.
By 2009 however, the UK was one of very few countries in Europe where it didn't work. |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 14,541
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Quote:
Mbnl goes offline in mid Wales when there is a power cut. O2 stays online.
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 499
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the new o2 Streetworks cabinets called Lancasters appear have battery backup well I saw a bank if batteries in one being installed recently
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Scotland
Posts: 4,965
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Quote:
the new o2 Streetworks cabinets called Lancasters appear have battery backup well I saw a bank if batteries in one being installed recently
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Scotland
Posts: 4,965
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Quote:
Maybe in your local area, it'll vary area by area, some MBNL sites will have backup and some other O2 street cabinets may not. O2 does have a lot of wide area 900Mhz masts on big towers though, not good for capacity but handy for this (pretty rare) eventuality.
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