The FCC revises mandatory back-up standards for cellular networks
A new FCC requirement calls for all cellular carriers to have sufficient backup battery to power +24V radios in the event of major power outages. Recent electrical outages caused by power grid failure, tornadoes and hurricanes have exposed a Wireless Industry “Achilles Heel”. In response to this, the new FCC guidelines require wireless carriers to expand their battery runtime by up to six hours; Alpha Group products are ideally positioned for these backup applications having provided support to some of the largest cellular carriers in the United States. Several high-profile, industry-leading Alpha customers have utilized eight-hour power backup standby generators and the Argus Tempest Te20b enclosures for several years.

New technology exposes the largest single point of failure
A cellular network works like a bicycle wheel. The hub of the wheel is called the Mobile Switching Center (MSC) and is connected to cell sites by T1 lines. These T1 lines are a combination of old copper wire and fiber optic Landline networks that allow data and information to flow from the radios at the cell site to the MSC.

When a call is made from a cell phone, it travels via airwaves to a cell tower where the phone is registered. The call is routed via a T1 line to the local MSC. Once at the MSC, the call is then routed to the call recipient’s MSC, T1 line and cell tower. Although some calls are routed from MSC to MSC via T1 copper lines, others are routed via fiber optic lines. The transition between copper and fiber lines requires the landline network providing the T1 to install a Fiber MultiPlexer (MUX) powered by 500W –48V rectifiers. This changes the light signals on the optical cable to an electrical signal for copper cable. If the fiber MUX loses power, it cannot convert the light signals to electrical signals and all calls are dropped. Using Alpha backup power solutions, the cell site could have 72 hours of backup power, as opposed to 10 minutes for an unprotected Telco MUX.

Alpha Technologies Services solution: Add an Alpha FXM 650
Although Alpha Technologies identified that landline T1 providers are not required to provide 8 hours of backup power for Data Links (T1s), unlimited AC power to the fiber MUX rectifiers via an inverter will safeguard consumer cell phone communications in the most vulnerable powering situations. To meet this end, Alpha used the FXM 650 inverter and MBS.

Alpha FXM 650 installed in cell site for T1 backup
The first installation of an FXM 650 into a major US cellphone provider’s network took 6 hours and was undertaken by Gary Mineweaser, Field Service Engineer at Alpha Technologies Services and Ben Strunk, Project Manager at Alpha Technologies Construction Services. In this application, the FXM 650 system is providing 180Watts of power for the Fiber MUX. To test the system, engineers shut off utility power to the cell site to verify the automatic transfer of the FXM 650 from AC line power to DC power. The Inverter worked as expected and no T1 lines were dropped.

Since the initial installation of the FXM 650, Alpha has continued with steady installations within numerous cell network providers. Based on this early success, Alpha is expecting further growth in the deployment of this solid and reliable solution to a critical weakness in US cellular networks. By using the full range of Alpha Technologies Engineering Services equipment and sales support, The Alpha Group is positioned and capable of backing up every cellular network in the United States.