Telecommunications outside plant power infrastructure: Past performance and technological alternatives for improved resilience to hurricanes

This paper discusses technological alternatives to achieve a more resilient power supply of telecommunications outside plant network elements during natural disasters. Outside plant powering alternatives are explored based on a description of past performance during 2005 Hurricane Katrina, and 2008 hurricanes Dolly, Gustav and Ike, and restoration options after those storms. Network planning implications are also considered. Power options including both backup and local generation units are evaluated using calculations based on actual field data of digital loop carrier systems of different capacity.