In the Hessian town of Liederbach, hundreds of Telekom and Vodafone customers complained about constant internet failures – especially on hot days. It was only by chance that you found out where the problem was.
Sunshine and technology usually don’t get along very well. Just leave your iPhone in the blazing heat – at some point it’s bound to go on strike. But while cause and effect are clearly recognizable in this situation, around 400 people from Liederbach in Hesse could not explain the constant internet failures on hot days. As reported by the “Bild” newspaper, an overheated junction box on the side of the road was apparently causing the problems.
Internet only in shade
A local resident describes her case to the tabloid as follows: Whenever the thermostat exceeded 30 degrees, the internet went down. By chance, one became aware of the noisy humming junction box on the street. When a neighbor parked his vehicle in front of the box, the internet came back on within minutes.
The connection was found: In order to save your line, the local resident placed an umbrella over the box when it got too hot, they say. But for the Liederbacher that was of course not a permanent solution. They contacted Telekom for weeks, and only after they went to the press office via the newspaper did anything happen.
The box is running again – after three weeks
The person concerned told the technology magazine “Golem” that someone from Telekom only showed up after three weeks to convert the box. She was told that the process also took so long because the question of the cost of an air conditioner had to be clarified first.
A spokeswoman for Telekom confirmed to “Golem” that the box is now fully functional again – even in hot temperatures. For this purpose, the assemblies within the box have been changed and another fan installed, it is said. As reported by “Bild”, Telekom also pulled a wasp’s nest out of the box.
Should the new ventilation fail and the box refuse to work again, the Liederbacher now know what to do. In any case, you should still have your parasol ready – there isn’t just one of these boxes.
Source: Image, Golem
