Faulty backup batteries at some of Vodafone's cellphone sites led to failures in the company's Far North phone network during a major power cut this month.
About 30,000 Far North homes and businesses lost power from 10.30am on October 9 due to a suspected broken insulator at Top Energy's important Kaikohe substation. Power was restored by 1.30pm in the main towns but some outlying areas had to wait until 4pm.
As well as the power outage, Vodafone's cellphone network failed in parts of the Far North. Police, who use the Vodafone network, were also affected.
Vodafone communications manager Libby Middlebrook said the company operated 60 cell sites in the Far North, all equipped with battery backup, designed to kick in automatically when the power went out.
"The outage was unusually widespread,and unfortunately the batteries at three of our cell sites were faulty and did not kick in. This had flow-on effects for a small number of other sites, impacting coverage in scattered pockets around Northland," she said.
