The Communications Ministry announced Wednesday that cellular companies will be required to provide energy backup for cellular antennas in the north of Israel in preparation for an escalation on the northern front. The ministry will provide NIS 40 million to support the communication companies in completing this task.
Communication Minister Shlomo Karhi said, "Increasing the energy capacity of cellular sites is crucial for operational continuity during emergencies. We will continue to work to ensure that this is just the first step towards achieving higher energy capacity throughout the country. We are working diligently so that within a few weeks, the communication sector in the north will be ready and prepared for various scenarios."
The director general of the ministry, Inbal Mashash, added, "A war in the northern front may lead to prolonged power outages of many hours, which will also affect cellular antennas. Increasing the energy backup of cellular antennas for an additional period of at least 12 or 24 hours - depending on the division to be determined by the Ministry, together with the ability to self-charging in some places, will allow the public to use cellular devices in emergencies even during prolonged power outages."