Shake, rattle and roam

The popularity of wireless service is matched only by the increasing need for reliability. Even if an earthquake knocks out the power, customers assume they'll still be able to place a call.

That was the challenge power vendor Alpha Technologies accepted when it decided to upgrade its product line to the Novus XT outdoor AC uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to deliver backup power to outdoor cellular microcell and picocell stations. Not only does the Novus XT offer 100 hours of DC backup power and standard AC UPS, it also has passed Telcordia Seismic Zone 4 qualification. So when an earthquake rattles the telephony infrastructure, it won't knock out the power for the wireless provider.

Not that this is necessarily an infallible solution. “If an earthquake hits and a pole snaps, it's going to snap with our box still attached to it,” said Frank Albano, Alpha's vice president of communication power systems. “The problem's not going to be with a Zone 4 box being in one piece — it's if the pole stays in one piece.”

The UPSs, which can be strand- or pedestal-mounted, are more expensive than other units, Albano conceded, but because Alpha is involved in every part of the manufacturing process, it can absorb some of the cost. The development effort cost between $30,000 and $50,000 in materials and man hours. In addition to Zone 4 qualification, Alpha also ran the gear through Telcordia's salt and fog test where the unit was placed in a salt-fog chamber for 14 straight days.

Frank Albano

VP

Alpha Technologies

“We have never had a seismic Zone 4 problem with any of our boxes. Poles come down with the box still attached, and it's fine. It's the pole that didn't do well.”

Jonny Maurer

Wireless field operations manager

Qwest

“In the earthquake we had on Feb. 28 last year, the hardware went through very well. The biggest trouble we ran into was the enormous call volume that resulted from everybody trying to get in touch with each other immediately, but we didn't have any major hardware failures. There were widespread power outages from the utility companies, but we were able to keep everything on the air with portable generators.”

John Celentano

President

Skyline Market Group

“What they have is important, but they're not alone. Anybody selling into a customer that is in a designated earthquake zone has to design products that meet similar requirements.”

SYSTEM STATS

Who: Alpha Technologies (www.alpha.com)

What: Novus XT Power Systems

Features: Weather-resistant power supply designed to provide cellular, microcell and picocell stations with AC backup power during utility outages. System is both “earthquake proof” and capable of handling temperatures that range from -40°C to 50°C

Cost: $5665