How reliable is mobile broadband?
QWe had a power cut the other day. I have an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) on my computer and also on my fibre router. Even so, the broadband went down, which suggests the local cabinets have no backup. Do you know what the situation is? Are the systems that supply 3/4/5G mobile broadband backed up, or do I need to keep carrier pigeons to reach the emergency services when the copper is removed? John Huddleston
AThere’s no simple answer to any aspect of this. Some cabinets will be linked to backup batteries or generators, and so too will mobile masts. The likelihood of any one installation having such a backup depends on the importance ascribed to it by the provider. The typical street-corner cabinet is likely to be hooked up to the same mains power as your house, so if there’s a power cut it’s bye-bye internet. A street cabinet serving an industrial estate might have a battery backup or even a fuelpowered generator. The same is true of masts that provide mobile signals. This infrastructure is generally newer, so more of these do tend to have at least some limited level of battery backup – but usually only enough to keep services going for a small number of hours. If you contact providers serving your local area, they might tell you which if any nearby masts have power backups.
Some providers, such as Vodafone, are even trialling wind-powered masts that use turbines to keep their batteries topped up (pictured). However, this technology is aimed at rural locations, where laying cables might be difficult, so it’s unlikely to arrive near your house any time soon.