Verizon sites with backup generators
ELECTROUBLESHOOTER
Enthusiast - Level 2

Is there anyway to find out if a particular tower site has a backup generator?

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Re: Verizon sites with backup generators
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

@ELECTROUBLESHOOTER wrote:

Is there anyway to find out if a particular tower site has a backup generator?


Is there a reason why you want to know this information?

 

For network security and other reasons, I can see why it wouldn't be good to have the electrical power capabilities of the cellular tower locations available to the general public. 

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: Verizon sites with backup generators
ELECTROUBLESHOOTER
Enthusiast - Level 2

 

I asked because we have a vacation home in a small Colorado town. I control the generator, monitor propane level, control furnace, etc via Verizon. If I lose my Verizon signal I lose control over the generator, and the ability to see how much propane I have in extended power outages.

FROM VERIZON:

We know how important it is for customers to stay connected during a crisis. That’s why in addition to having backup batteries, Verizon has permanent generators at the majority of our cell sites (towers) and all of our switch locations (network nerve center), which we're able to refuel during extended power outages. These backup energy sources help keep our network running when commercial power is lost.

Improving the availability of backup power will also primarily depend
on the extent of a service provider’s commitment to investing in those resources. Verizon
maintains battery backup with up to 8 hours of backup power at all macro sites, and designs
those sites to support backup power through diesel generators that last between 24-72 hours on a
single tank of fuel. For critical coverage sites that do not have permanent generators, we deploy
portable generators that can be refueled. And we maintain on-site generator resources for
buildings that house critical switching, servers and computing equipment.

 

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Re: Verizon sites with backup generators
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

If it is so important to you, use publicly available information on the locations of the nearby cellular tower and drive around to those locations and look at the site to see if there is a generator or not. Even if you don't see a generator, as Verizon has indicated there are also a battery backup system at the sites. Just because you don't see it or know certain equipment is there doesn't mean that it isn't actually there. Many industries including the cellular communications industry have systems that don't need to be common knowledge in the public sphere. The electrical systems used can be one of those areas. 

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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