DOES WEATHER AFFECT NETWORK COVERAGE ?

Thursday 29th September, 2022

As Fiji’s leading telecommunications provider, Vodafone Fiji is always working hard to keep Fijians connected. As market leader in the Pacific, more than 800,000 citizens rely on the network’s mobile phone, Internet and WiFi services.

Vodafone Fiji takes this responsibility seriously and has been investing in and improving upon network infrastructure for the past two decades in order to provide a premium service and to minimise interruptions.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital uptake and data usage has seen exponential growth both around the globe and at home in the Pacific.

Recent trends indicate that network data traffic has been increasing by up to 50% annually. With more than half a million data subscribers utilising the Vodafone Fiji network, monthly usage now exceeds 10,000TB

In July of 2022, Vodafone Fiji Regional CEO Pradeep Lal announced a further $55 million investment into network infrastructure

“Such investment is essential to deliver on our promise of continuous improvement and of course, strategic to aim of future-proofing Fiji’s number 1 network.”

“It is also an investment to support our growing digital economy and bridging the digital divide so that no one is left behind,” said Mr Lal.

Mr Lal explained that the network had recorded a five-fold increase in data traffic over the past few years, and that a core aim of the latest infrastructure investment was to facilitate connectivity as an enabler of change and to connect more Fijians, from every corner of the country, each and every day.

Vodafone currently has 562 base stations spread across Fiji, with 80% of those providing 4G coverage.

“It’s also a well located for visitors looking to visit popular tourist locations including Denarau Island and the Coral Coast.”

Vodafone Fiji customers can refer to a map showing locations around the country where connections are good as well as areas where customers are experiencing issues.

ACCESS CONNECTION MAP HERE

With so many customers using and relying upon Vodafone’s network at all times, some users inevitably experience issues or interruptions to their connection at certain times or in certain locations.

Tropical weather conditions in the Pacific region can be unpredictable at times, and certain weather events can pose challenges to network stability.

Storms, heavy rainfall, flooding and lighting can all damage sensitive equipment and are occasionally responsible for base station outages

Power failure and other technical issues are also responsible for base station outages from time to time.

Vodafone is committed to minimising the impact of weather conditions on network stability and has put measures in place in order to protect network infrastructure.

Grounding systems are critical for protecting network infrastructure and personnel and Vodafone has had grounding and protection systems fitted on a majority of base station sites around the country.

Grounding and protection systems provide a preferred path to the ground for lighting strikes. When lighting strikes a well grounded cell tower or otter piece of network equipment, the majority of the current passes through the tower steel then through grounding conductors or electrodes on the way to the ground, rather than passing through sensitive equipment that could be damaged by high voltages.

Vodafone’s network stations are also protected by other components including air termination networks, down-conductor systems that carry current towards the ground, equipotential bonding systems, surge protection devices and ground electrodes that help dissipate energy into the earth.

It is possible for high levels of electrical noise to interfere with data transmission speeds and bandwidth. Grounding systems help minimise the effects of noise and help to protect the safety of personnel working on network stations from electrical shock hazards.