Power Cuts Overload Existing Mobile Phone System

Sunday, 27 March 2022.

North Cyprus News - ComputerDaily power cuts have caused disruption to internet connections which only operate on 3G, Yeniduzen reports.

The ‘transition to 4.5-5 G technology’, which has been talked about for a while, has come to the agenda again, with the authorities saying that, ‘the transition to new technology is a must’. Home internet has become unusable with the constant power cuts driving up the use of mobile phone data, which in turn has caused high density internet traffic.

 

Stakeholders have spoken to Yeniduzen about the current progress of 5G installation in North Cyprus.

Minister of Public Works and Transport Erhan Arıklı and Chairman of Information Technologies and Communications Authority (BTHK) Kadri Bürüncük stated that they expect 4.5-5 G technology to end the disruptions brought on by power cuts, and that they aim to complete the infrastructure as soon as possible. 

Telsim and Turkcell

Representatives of the two internet providers in North Cyprus, Telsim and Turkcell, said that they were ‘already’ prepared for the new technology, that they had conducted the necessary trials and were waiting for the infrastructure to arrive. Pointing out that 3 G can no longer meet the internet needs in the country, the companies stated that the north of the island is among the few regions that cannot switch to 5 G technology, and that the transition to new technology is now considered ‘essential’.

Infrastructure Problems

Deputy General Manager of Telsim/Vodafone Fevzi Tanpınar said that power cuts affected mobile data usage not because of operator-related problems, but because of the high demand for 3G. Tanpınar said: “A few hours of power cuts do not affect us negatively because we have generator and battery-backed measures, but because these cuts negatively affect other internet service providers, people cannot use their internet at home and they focus on mobile. The real trouble starts there. Since all the load goes to mobile, the density there brings some problems with it and this affects the quality of service. If we had been given fibre excavation permission, we would have passed 5G by now”, he said.

Pointing out that they are the operators that carried out the first 4 and 5 G tests in North Cyprus before Turkey, Tanpınar said, “Our preparations and determination continue in this regard.” 

He also said that there are problems in the renewal of the fibre infrastructure in the country due to certain bans, and went on to say the following:

 “At the last meeting we held with the minister, we said that we are ready for the 4.5-5 G tender, but that we need to pave the way for the renewal of the fibre infrastructure deficiency in the country. If these are provided, our country can gain new technology by the end of the year and the sector can be paved. As long as the prohibitive mentalities disappear”. 

 Minister of Public Works and Transport Erhan Arıklı said that infrastructure work will be completed by the end of the year. He said the following:

We are currently working to speed up the wifi systems of homes and businesses. BTHK made the necessary regulation change and published it on its pages. We expect wifis to become faster by next week, but this is a temporary interim formula. Our main project is fibre optics from house to house. The process of replacing existing telephone lines with fibre will be carried out, and 4.5-5 G works will begin immediately afterwards. The rest depends on the GSM operators and the company that will take the tender”.

Yeniduzen

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