A Look at the Future for Outside-Plant (OSP) Backup Power

This paper examines the array of challenges currently faced by the telecom industry, including circuit to packet network migration, voice over IP (VoIP) telephony, and reliance on the Internet for worldwide commerce, that have led up to an increased reliance on high-quality extended backup power. It assesses traditional backup solutions in the context of the history of the telecom industry and compares them to a new solution that holds significant promise for the industry: the hydrogen fuel cell. The paper weighs fuel cell systems against battery backup in terms of reliability, durability, cost, and environmental impact. It also explores differences in lifecycle maintenance requirements and associated costs for the products