Nickel cadmium batteries for outside telecom plants

With modern electronics, it is possible to house over 1000 subscriber lines in a relatively small cabinet, which facilitates low cost and competitive solutions for telephone service in fast growing suburban and rural areas. Until now, valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries have been installed to provide a minimum of 8-hour back-up in case of power failure. The employment of VRLA batteries has not provided satisfactory service as all operation companies have reported extensive, premature, and often destructive, battery failures. The problems are particularly severe in the southern states where the batteries inside the cabinet operate in temperatures up to 50°C. VRLA batteries, which originally were advertised as 20-year products, often fail after 18-24 months, and even under the most favorable conditions seldom last over 5 years. Several Regional Bell Operating Companies and Bellcore have started laboratory and field testing of other power storage systems in search of products that will provide improved durability and reliability. Nickel cadmium batteries are included in these tests and have so far shown positive results. This could lead to an interesting market opportunity for the right type of nickel cadmium battery. However, this market is not for everyone. The Regional Bell Operation Companies are very demanding customers, and their requirements for high volume, on-time delivery of quality products, preceded by an extensive qualification process, will require multi-million dollar investments by prospective suppliers. This paper discusses both market opportunities and the obstacles that must be overcome to enter this market