POWER
Keeping the UK networks live: How load bank testing keeps telecom networks reliable
By Andrew Keith, division director, Power Prove F
rom homes and offices to hospitals and emergency services, mobile and broadband networks are now essential for daily life. Recent events, such as Vodafone’s October 2025 blackout that sparked 130,000 outage reports, highlight the impact of network downtime and the critical need for reliable backup power at telecom sites. Connectivity has become a lifeline. From emergency calls to daily work emails, millions depend on mobile and broadband networks every hour of every day. The scale is staggering: full fibre broadband now reaches 87 per cent of UK premises and 5G is available outdoors to around 97 per cent of the population, according to Ofcom. But networks are only as strong as their weakest link. Power interruptions at radio access sites alone caused an estimated 12 million lost mobile customer hours last year, underlining how even brief outages can affect millions.
In the summer of 2025, large parts of the UK experienced widespread mobile and landline network outages that left thousands of users unable to make or receive phone calls, including access to emergency services. Ofcom has opened formal investigations following incidents that disrupted voice services and emergency connectivity for large numbers of customers nationwide. BT reported a software issue that affected the EE network and its ability to interconnect calls to other operators and services. According to Ofcom, telecom providers must take “appropriate and proportionate measures to identify and reduce the risks and prepare for the occurrence of anything that compromises the availability, performance or functionality of their network or service.”
Understanding where risk comes from
Telecom networks are complex systems that rely on a chain of infrastructure elements working without interruption. A fault in a single component can have wide consequences, with power interruptions at cell sites and network hubs a major vulnerability. According to recent analysis, mains power disconnections have been linked to millions
16 JUNE 2026 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS
of lost mobile customer hours as sites without sufficient backup power cannot maintain connectivity during extended outages. For telecom operators and their clients, the challenge is not just maintaining normal operation but ensuring that backup systems work when primary power is lost or compromised.
Why proper testing matters Backup generators and battery systems are essential at many telecom sites to keep services online when the grid fails or during severe conditions. But simply installing a backup power source is not enough. Without testing under real load conditions, hidden faults may go undetected until failure hits at the worst possible time.
Running generators without meaningful electrical load does not reflect how they will perform during actual use. Engines that start but never run at load can develop issues such as fuel degradation, weak alternator output or cooling problems that only appear when the unit is pushed to deliver real power for sustained periods.
How load bank testing helps A load bank creates a controlled electrical demand that simulates real network equipment pulling power. This allows engineers to verify that a generator, battery bank or hybrid system can sustain output over time. Load testing can uncover issues affecting voltage stability, cooling response, fuel delivery or electrical regulation long
before a real outage exposes them. Telecom operators often use load bank testing to validate site readiness before peak seasons or known weather events. Third party data highlights that network resilience planning increasingly emphasises such proactive measures, with industry bodies calling for stronger resilience against power related failures that can lead to service interruptions and emergency call failures.
Real world confidence
For many operators, the cost of unexpected downtime is measured not only in customer complaints but in safety risk and economic loss. A reliably tested backup system ensures that power systems at remote cell towers and exchange points will support critical loads without surprise faults.
Power Prove load banks can be tailored to telecom use cases, offering testing solutions that match specific site configurations and load profiles. By applying a proper electrical load, teams gain confidence in generator and battery performance and can schedule maintenance during planned windows rather than reacting to unforeseen failures. Testing is a practical form of risk management. In a landscape where connectivity is closely knit into daily life and business operations, knowing that backup power systems have been exercised and verified gives operators and their customers confidence that networks will remain live when they are needed most.
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