Backup Power Strategies For U.S. Cell Towers

Unquestionably in this day and age, people rely on steady cell service on a daily basis. This is especially true during times of emergency, such as during natural disasters. This is why cell tower backup power is essential; in order to notify emergency responders and call centers of ongoing crises, a reliable phone network isn’t merely a convenience, it becomes a necessity for saving lives.

Types of Cell Tower Backup Power

Although there are different reasons that a cell tower could fail to work, power loss is one of the most common reasons. Cell tower backup power ensures that people can reach their loved ones and communicate with ease for daily communications even when storms or other events knock out main power sources. Backup power to cell towers is also crucial for emergency situations, providing a means for EMTs and others to share vital information. To protect against power loss, cell towers have begun to put the following precautions into place:

• Robust Battery Systems: More and more developed battery systems means protection against downtime when one battery malfunctions. Major companies such as GE have been designing batteries specifically for cell towers with features like an extended rechargeable life and increased reliability. In fact, the backup power provided by these super batteries could drastically cut reliance on diesel generators as backup power, making for a much more environmentally friendly source of power assurance.
• Backup Generators: Many of the most important cell towers have backup generators in place to kick in should a main power source go down. Some of the towers relying on natural gas even have a direct source of natural gas piped in to power backup generators.
• Accommodating to Some Transmitter Failure: Modern cell towers are so abundant that cell service may continue even when some towers fail. Service may weaken, but as long as some towers in the network remain operable, cell service shouldn’t be completely lost.

Cell tower owners recognize the impact that power loss can have on the general population and have increasingly been putting backup power in place. In fact, according to an article found on Quartz Media, Verizon “claimed that 90% of its cell towers already had some form of backup power”.