Shocking Service from Vodacom, MTN and Cell C

I have no words for the kind if service we in Philippolis (a small town in the Freestate) receive from Vodacom, MTN and Cell c. For at least 20 years there has always been a problem with the backup power source (a battery I assume), it lasts for about an hour when the electricity goes off, due to load shedding or another type of power outage. Lately there just has to be slightly more than a breeze and the cell phone signal disappears (Vodacom especially) this is usually followed by a power failure, usually lasting quite a few hours (once the entire town had no cell signal and no electricity for four whole days) - but power is another story. Philippolis is located in the southern Freestate and it seems that the rest of South Africa has forgotten that we exist. When we have no cell signal (which happens very frequently these days) we have no swiping facilities, no ATM access and we are totally cut off from the rest of the world. If there is also no power, its that much more difficult because then nothing works. I decided to post this on the hellopeter website because action is needed and hopefully I will get some feedback. Looking back on previous years, with the exception of the backup battery not lasting, there never seemed to be any other problem with the cell phone networks. However the Telkom network of cell signals and home phones I assume, seems to be working about 90% of the time. Business is being lost because people cannot swipe their cards as payment and they also cannot draw cash from an ATM because there is no signal to do so. Currently all the cell phone networks and the electricity is working so I am able to write this complaint, but it will not last, very soon there will be no signal again. We are trying to function as a small town but power outages and internment cell signals are hampering our efforts.