If you are thinking about wireless internet on the Highveld, two worries usually come up straight away. “What happens when it rains?” and “What happens when the power goes off?” They are fair questions. Our summers bring heavy thunderstorms, and most of us still remember years of load-shedding.
Highveld summer storms usually hit in the late afternoon, and yes, lightning does strike towers. When the first big storm of the season arrives, the question we hear most is about roof antennas and equipment damaged by lightning. Here is how it really works, what affects your connection and what we do about it.
Does Rain Affect Wireless Internet?
In short: rain does not stop a properly installed fixed wireless link. The frequency used and how the link is set up matter far more than the weather.
Fixed wireless works by sending radio signals between an antenna on your roof and one of our towers. Raindrops absorb and scatter radio signals a little, an effect engineers call rain fade. How much depends mainly on two things: the radio frequency and how hard it is raining.
Many fixed wireless networks use the 5 GHz band. Using the international model for rain attenuation (ITU-R P.838), the numbers look like this:
- At 5 GHz, even a very heavy downpour of 50 mm per hour weakens the signal by only about 0.2 dB per kilometre. On a typical home link of a few kilometres, that is a tiny fraction of the safety margin a properly planned link is designed with.
- At much higher frequencies such as 60 GHz, which some short, very fast links use, the same downpour costs roughly 17 dB per kilometre. That is why those links are kept short and planned carefully.
In other words, rain on its own is rarely the reason a wireless connection struggles. When customers notice a slowdown during a storm, the cause is more often one of these:
- Wet trees in the path. Leaves full of water block more signal than dry leaves. A link that only just clears a tree in winter can suffer in summer.
- Wind. Strong gusts can move a poorly fixed mast or antenna slightly out of alignment.
- Power cuts, which we cover below.
- Lightning damage to equipment.
This is why a good installation matters as much as the technology. We do the coverage and signal tests on installation day and set up every link with a generous signal buffer. That keeps the link strong in bad weather and means fewer reasons to call support.
What About Thunderstorms and Lightning?
The Highveld is known for intense summer thunderstorms with plenty of lightning. Lightning is a risk to any electronics connected to the outside world, whether that is a roof antenna, a fibre router, a TV or a gate motor. It can strike our towers too.
We plan for it. We keep backup equipment and standby teams ready, carry out repairs as soon as it is safe, and usually fix towers the same or next day.
Our worst storm so far struck three towers in one night. Our high-sites teams repaired the towers, most of them that same night. Customers on the protection plan had their damaged equipment swapped on the spot. Most customers were back online that evening, and the rest by the next morning.
What Happens If Lightning Damages My Equipment?
- On our protection plan, lightning-damaged devices are replaced, no questions asked. The protection plan is an optional monthly extra on our wireless plans (it is required on Wireless 50).
- Without the plan, contact support and we will help you get back online, usually by the next day.
- Technical callouts are FREE for all Skyworks customers.
Plugging your router into a surge-protected plug also helps protect it from power surges.
Does Wireless Internet Work During Load-Shedding?
The good news first: according to Eskom, South Africa has had no national load-shedding since 16 May 2025, which is more than 500 days as of October 2026 (Eskom, 9 October 2026). That said, power still goes off for other reasons: cable theft, substation faults, storm damage and planned maintenance.
There are two halves to staying online when the power goes:
- Our network. The towers that carry your connection need power too.
- Your home. Your roof antenna and your router need power from your own electricity.
On our side, almost all of our tower sites have backup power. The batteries last from most of a business day to as long as three days, depending on the site. On top of that, dedicated tower teams with backup generators are on standby every day.
Why Does My Own Power Matter?
This is the part many people miss. Even when our towers are running on backup power, your internet will stop the moment the power goes off at your house unless your own equipment has power.
The antenna on your roof is usually powered through the network cable from a small power adapter indoors, called a PoE injector. Your Wi-Fi router has its own adapter. If either of them loses power, you are offline, even though our network is still up.
This is not unique to wireless. A fibre connection also needs power for the fibre box (ONT) and the router. UPS backup for your router is available on our optional extras page.
How Do I Know My Connection Will Hold Up?
Start with a free signal test. Show us where your property is and we will test the signal path from our network while you wait. It usually takes 1 to 5 minutes. Wireless needs a clear line of sight from your roof to one of our towers, so we check your exact property rather than going by suburb. You can also use the coverage check.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will rain slow down my wireless internet?
Rain does not stop a properly installed wireless link. We test the signal on installation day and set up every link with a generous signal buffer, so it stays strong in bad weather.
Is fibre better than wireless in bad weather?
Fibre is not affected by rain. But both fibre and wireless need power at your home to work in a power cut. See our guide on fibre or wireless in Witbank and compare fibre plans with wireless plans.
How long do your towers stay up when the power goes off?
Almost all sites have backup power, with batteries lasting from most of a business day to three days, and tower teams with generators are on standby every day.
What should I do if my internet drops after a storm?
Check that your equipment has power, restart the router, then contact us on 0100 555 111 or WhatsApp, every day from 08:00 to 21:00. Most issues are resolved over the phone, and technical callouts are FREE for all customers.
How do I know if wireless will work at my house?
Ask for a free signal test or check your coverage. We check your exact property, not just your suburb.
Ready to get connected? Check your coverage now, then see our Witbank wireless plans or Next-Gen Wireless in Bankenveld.
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