White Paper – Telecom Sites Power Control and Management
White Paper Introduction
Power issues are the most fundamental item that network operators need to monitor and manage at remote sites. The ability to remotely monitor and reboot equipment contributes to both network resilience and network efficiency. Effective monitoring of various power-related sub-systems (AC meters, generators, DC rectifiers, batteries, fuel cells, solar arrays, or other newer hybrid power systems) can give a complete picture of power-related issues at a site. This allows for better troubleshooting and reduced downtime of the network due to power-related faults. Automation, like an immediate reboot of malfunctioning DC or AC powered equipment at a remote site, reduces network downtime and also saves a costly truck roll.
This white paper report provides details of the leading cause of telecom power outages, and the benefits of more advanced cell site automation applications involving power management.
The Number One Cause of Power Outages in the US
In the United States, the number one cause of power outage is severe weather. Weather such as thunderstorms, hurricanes, and blizzards account for 58% of outages observed since 2002. Weather related power outages have increased significantly since 1992 and will continue to increase due to climate change.
Power Outages in the Developing World
AC grid power is often unreliable in other parts of the world, causing telecom sites to deploy and run on some form of backup power for some period of almost every day. This lack of grid reliability means that sites will fail if there is any problem with batteries or generators at sites.
Weather conditions in different parts of the world vary greatly, with typhoons, hurricanes, and other weather calamities being possible, as well as extreme cold or heat. In many parts of the world, telecom site equipment or resources like batteries or diesel fuel can lead to theft, which besides being a considerable expense in its own right, can also lead to sites failing when site damage due to theft is not detected.
Related Post: White Paper – Telecom Sites Physical Security
Improving Telecom Site Power Control and Management with Telecom Site Automation
Weather-related power outages and unreliable AC grid power can not be avoided in some regions in the world. In these situations, telecom site automation can help during power outages across either individual or multiple sites and be beneficial during times of “normal” operation.
Below is a list of common power-related abilities that a telecom site automation solution can provide:
- AC Power Monitoring/Metering
- DC Variables
- Battery Monitoring
- Generator/ATS Monitoring and Control
- COW’s, COLT’s, GOAT’s (Cell on Wheels, Cell on a Light Truck, Generator on a Truck)
- AC or DC Reboot/LoadShedding
Conclusion
Preparing your network for power outages caused by weather and natural disasters with advanced technology will increase the resilience, reliability, and efficiency of your telecom sites. As climate change poses an increasing frequency of events, we recommend automating your telecom sites now to minimize the impact of network failures and avoidable operating costs.
Summary
This is a white paper summary, and a complete version with additional details can be downloaded in a PDF document here:
