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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Folks, we’re talking about EMERGENCY
communications.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>The “8-hour
rule” is based on FCC requirements for cellular<br>
<span class=GramE>providers</span> to maintain power to their tower sites. <span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Many are remote, some shared, some on
rooftops, some not<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=GramE><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Easily accessible or
unable to support the physical weight of generators or batteries and <span
class=SpellE>UPS’s</span>.</span></font></span><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>The fact is<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>That what we – HAMS – need to
power will seldom be as elaborate or demanding as far as power requirements go.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The premise for emergency <span
class=SpellE>comms</span> for HAMS should always be:<br>
1)<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Assume you are completely on you
own – i.e. bring EVERYTHING you need,<br>
<span class=GramE>even</span> tables, chairs, shelter, pencils, gasoline,
generators etc <span class=SpellE>etc</span>…<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
tab-stops:list .5in'><![if !supportLists]><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>2)<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Assume you will be there and able to operate at 100% until released
by competent authority.<br>
So have enough personnel and resources or be able to replenish such as needed.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
tab-stops:list .5in'><![if !supportLists]><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>3)<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>I would be embarrassed to consider anything less than a 24 hr
capability.<br>
I plan for indefinitely.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Even an HF
rig doesn’t need that much power when considering<br>
<span class=GramE>the</span> duty cycle.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>Don’t plan on how fast you’ll run out of battery power, plan
on providing<br>
100% power for everything you need to operate for as long as it takes.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
tab-stops:list .5in'><![if !supportLists]><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>4)<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Have spares for EVERYTHING!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The FCC plan is ridiculously flawed. <span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>The first 8 hrs will be only a ramp up,
organizational period.<br>
First responders will arrive quickly but seldom look towards Hams for initial <span
class=SpellE>comms</span>.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>They are
usually<br>
<span class=GramE>uncoordinated</span> between agencies and *<b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>usually</span></b>* unable to communicate between
others.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>They are<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>There to stabilize the situation, assess
the public hazard, establish hazard zones, prevent entry, <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Search for survivors and assist in rescue
and <span class=SpellE>transportion</span> of injured.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Hams are basically unwelcome at<br>
<span class=GramE>”ground zero”, and with current regulations most
likely prevented from entering the area.</span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Our role will<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Be after the situation is stabilized and
C3 is established (command, control and communications).<br>
We will either provide missing links in the C3 infrastructure, help coordinate
non critical missions<br>
(<span class=GramE>like</span> shelter <span class=SpellE>comms</span> etc) or
augment needed resources.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Health
& Welfare we do very well, vectoring<br>
<span class=GramE>search</span> helicopters and ground teams most of us do very
poorly.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>What makes me laugh about the “8-hr
rule” is that in a true emergency, cellular phones are mostly<br>
<span class=GramE>useless</span> anyway because of the massive volume of users
all crammed around the few operational sites<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Simply overload the network.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>During the </span></font><st1:City><st1:place><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Seattle</span></font></st1:place></st1:City><font size=2
color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'> earthquake (a 7.1 magnitude BTW), I witnessed<br>
<span class=GramE>thousands</span> of workers flee from their hi-rise offices
onto the city streets.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>The first
thing they did was<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Grab their cell phones to try and check on
family and loved ones, but almost no one could get a dial<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=GramE><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Tone.</span></font></span><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Everyone was in <span
class=GramE>a frenzy</span> as they assumed because their cell phone was out
that the earthquake<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=GramE><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Had destroyed everything.</span></font></span><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>This made them even
more frantic to use it.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>It was a
scene from a bad<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=GramE><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Science fiction movie.</span></font></span><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>During Katrina, one by one the TV and
radio stations went down as transmitter sites ran dry of gas.<br>
The little fuel still available was commandeered for emergency response.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>No one had planned that<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Their 2-3 <span class=GramE>day <span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>fuel</span> supply wouldn’t be
sufficient.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Gasoline, sitting in
tanks at local stations, was<br>
<span class=GramE>useless</span> as no stations had emergency power to pump it.
<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Even with the 8-hr rule for gas
stations<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>As is planned, demand will quickly use up
available supply in a few hours.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>SO BRING ENOUGH GAS FOR YOUR
GENERATOR!<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>And make sure it’s
either FRESH or<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Has been stabilized!<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span class=GramE>It’s</span> poor
planning to rely on batteries alone as you will be hard pressed<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=GramE><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>To recharge them.</span></font></span><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Someone mentioned
using their 10amp charging outlet on their <span class=SpellE>genset</span>.<br>
Have you considered how long it takes to recharge a 120-AH storage battery at
ten amps???<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>That’s a TERRIBLE waste of fuel for
a generator capable of doing so much more work.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>If<br>
<span class=GramE>you</span> have to run the <span class=SpellE>gennie</span> for
12+ hrs to recharge a battery, just run it 24hrs for 120vAC and<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Have a battery as backup!<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Or run a real battery charger which can
provide 30-50 amps.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Sure, use what you have and improvise, but
<span class=SpellE>damnit</span> PLAN <span class=SpellE>PLAN</span> <span
class=SpellE>PLAN</span> so you don’t have to<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Improvise and make us all look like unprepared
idiots.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I say be 100% self
sufficient for as long as<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>It takes, which is certainly more than
eight hours! <span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Here in the </span></font><st1:City><st1:place><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Seattle</span></font></st1:place></st1:City><font size=2
color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'> area I’ve seen fairly large<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=GramE><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Communities without power
for 2+ WEEKS after a winter storm.</span></font></span><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>When millions are out of power,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The utility company operates on a priority
basis, and remote areas are always last.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>Think of your<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Emergency <span class=SpellE>comms</span>
plans as being worst case, isolated and without any means to support you.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Don’t even plan on someone bringing
you hot coffee after a 12 hrs night shift.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>It’s nice when<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>It happens, but be prepared to take care
of your <span class=SpellE>comms</span> and yourself for as long as needed.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Don’t assume FEMA will be reliable
or even anywhere to be found.<br>
It took 3+ days to get WATER to the Superdome.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I’m not betting my chips<br>
<span class=GramE>on</span> anything other than what I am prepared to provide
myself.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=GramE><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Just my 2cents worth.</span></font></span><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>73’s<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=GramE><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Ray<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>WB3ABN</span></font></span><font size=2
color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place><st1:City><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Kingston</span></font></st1:City><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>, </span></font><st1:State><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>WA</span></font></st1:State></st1:place><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> aprssig-bounces@lists.tapr.org
[mailto:aprssig-bounces@lists.tapr.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On
Behalf Of </span></b>Henry Wolcott<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Monday, March 17, 2008 2:19
PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> bruninga@usna.edu; TAPR APRS
Mailing List<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [aprssig] 8 hour
Backup Power Rule</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Certainly at least 8 hours. FEMA in the past as told
us in emergency management that we would be on our own for three days before
they could be mobilized. They may be better now. Of course the state may well
be mobilizing much sooner but if the disaster is widespread it is likely to be
a while before the smaller towns can be helped. Bob's 8 hours seems to be a
reasonably achievable minimum and my recommended 3 days is a difficult to
achieve maximum but a few key repeater owners should be able to do it.<br>
<br>
Hank KA1WTS<br>
<br>
<b><i><span style='font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>Robert Bruninga
<bruninga@usna.edu></span></i></b> wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>APRSdom...<br>
<br>
While doing emergency ham radio planning, conider the magic "8<br>
hour" rule being pushed by the FCC onto the cell phone<br>
companies. Attached below is more than you want to know about<br>
it, but it suggested to me a thought for Ham radio.<br>
<br>
That is, if ham radio is going to "offer services" for emergency<br>
preparedness, then if we made sure that we could offer "8 hours<br>
of black-out" communications, then we are one step ahead of the<br>
nations cellular network...<br>
<br>
Just something to use in your quiver.<br>
Bob, WB4APR<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: tacos-bounces+bruninga=nadn.navy.mil@amrad.org<br>
[mailto:tacos-bounces+bruninga=nadn.navy.mil@amrad.org] On<br>
Behalf Of Karl W4KRL<br>
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2008 6:07 PM<br>
To: tacos@amrad.org<br>
Subject: Cell Carriers Fight Backup Power Rule<br>
<br>
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - When Hurricane Katrina assaulted the Gulf<br>
Coast in 2005,<br>
wind and flooding knocked out hundreds of cell towers and cell<br>
sites,<br>
silencing wireless communication exactly when emergency crews<br>
and victims<br>
needed it.<br>
<br>
To avoid similar debacles in the future, the Federal<br>
Communications<br>
Commission wants most cell transmitter sites in the U.S. to have<br>
at least<br>
eight hours of backup power in the event main power fails, one<br>
of several<br>
moves regulators say will make the nation's communication system<br>
stronger<br>
and more reliable.<br>
<br>
Two and a half years after Katrina and eight months after the<br>
FCC's<br>
regulations were first released, the two sides are still<br>
wrestling with the<br>
issue.<br>
<br>
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., put those<br>
regulations on hold<br>
last week while it considers an appeal by some in the wireless<br>
industry.<br>
<br>
Several cell phone companies, while agreeing their networks need<br>
to become<br>
more resilient, have opposed the FCC's backup power regulations,<br>
claiming<br>
they were illegally drafted and would present a huge economic<br>
and<br>
bureaucratic burden.<br>
<br>
There are almost 210,000 cell towers and roof-mounted cell sites<br>
across the<br>
country, and carriers have said many would require some<br>
modification. At<br>
least one industry estimate puts the per-site price tag at up to<br>
$15,000.<br>
<br>
In a request for the FCC to delay implementing the change,<br>
Sprint Nextel<br>
Corp. wrote that the rules would lead to "staggering and<br>
irreparable harm"<br>
for the company. The cost couldn't be recouped through legal<br>
action or<br>
passed on to consumers, it said.<br>
<br>
Jackie McCarthy, director of governmental affairs for PCIA - The<br>
Wireless<br>
Infrastructure Association, said the government should allow the<br>
industry to<br>
decide how best to keep its networks running, pointing out that<br>
all the<br>
backup power in the world won't help a cell tower destroyed by<br>
wind or<br>
wildfires.<br>
<br>
"Our members' position is that the 'one size fits all' approach<br>
to requiring<br>
eight hours of backup power at all cell sites really doesn't<br>
accomplish the<br>
commission's stated purpose of providing reliable wireless<br>
coverage,"<br>
McCarthy said.<br>
<br>
The wireless carriers also are claiming the FCC failed to follow<br>
federal<br>
guidelines for creating new mandates and went far beyond its<br>
authority when<br>
it created the eight-hour requirement last summer.<br>
<br>
FCC officials have so far stood their ground.<br>
<br>
"We find that the benefits of ensuring sufficient emergency<br>
backup power,<br>
especially in times of crisis involving possible loss of life or<br>
injury,<br>
outweighs the fact that carriers may have to spend resources,<br>
perhaps even<br>
significant resources, to comply with the rule," the agency said<br>
in a<br>
regulatory filing.<br>
<br>
"The need for backup power in the event of emergencies has been<br>
made<br>
abundantly clear by recent events, and the cost of failing to<br>
have such<br>
power may be measured in lives lost," it said.<br>
<br>
A panel of experts appointed by the FCC following Katrina was<br>
critical of<br>
how communications networks performed during and after the<br>
storm. The group<br>
noted that service restoration was "a long and slow process."<br>
<br>
Panel members recommended the FCC work with telecommunications<br>
companies to<br>
make their networks more robust. Regulators then created the<br>
eight-hour<br>
mandate, exempting carriers with fewer than 500,000 subscribers.<br>
<br>
Wireless companies quickly complained about the regulations,<br>
calling them<br>
arbitrary and saying they would rob them of the flexibility to<br>
target backup<br>
power upgrades at the most important or most vulnerable cell<br>
sites in their<br>
networks.<br>
<br>
They also said local zoning rules, existing leases and<br>
structural<br>
limitations could make it impossible to add batteries or backup<br>
generators<br>
to cell sites.<br>
<br>
Miles Schreiner, director of national operations planning for<br>
T-Mobile, said<br>
it can take 1,500 pounds or more of batteries to provide eight<br>
hours of<br>
backup energy in areas with a lot of cell phone traffic.<br>
<br>
"In urban areas, most of the sites are on rooftops and those<br>
sites weren't<br>
built to hold that much weight," Schreiner said.<br>
<br>
In regulatory filings, the FCC has said the wireless carriers<br>
chose to put<br>
their equipment in areas that can't be readily expanded.<br>
However, the agency<br>
agreed in October that it would exempt cell sites from the rules<br>
but only if<br>
the wireless carrier provided paperwork proving the exemption<br>
was necessary.<br>
<br>
It would give companies six months from when the rules went into<br>
effect to<br>
submit those reports and then another six months to either bring<br>
the sites<br>
into compliance or explain how they would provide backup service<br>
to those<br>
areas through other means, such as portable cellular<br>
transmitters.<br>
<br>
CTIA-The Wireless Association and several carriers asked the<br>
U.S. Court of<br>
Appeals in Washington, D.C., to intervene, saying the exemptions<br>
would still<br>
leave wireless companies scrambling to inspect and compile<br>
reports on<br>
thousands of towers.<br>
<br>
On Feb. 28, the court granted Sprint Nextel's request to stay<br>
the<br>
regulations while the case moves forward. Oral arguments are<br>
scheduled for<br>
May.<br>
<br>
An FCC spokesman said the agency was disappointed with court's<br>
decision.<br>
<br>
Not all carriers have joined the fight. Verizon Wireless is not<br>
a party to<br>
the appeal and has a history of installing backup generators and<br>
batteries<br>
to its cell sites. Most famously, during a 2003 blackout that<br>
kept much of<br>
the Northeast in the dark for hours, Verizon customers could<br>
still<br>
communicate.<br>
<br>
AT&T, the nation's largest wireless carrier, would not comment<br>
on the FCC<br>
regulations.<br>
<br>
McCarthy, whose organization represents both the wireless<br>
carriers and<br>
companies that lease space on their own cell towers, said her<br>
members worry<br>
that they will face a high hurdle to get exemptions.<br>
<br>
"I don't think it's hyperbole or exaggeration to say if it gets<br>
to that<br>
point with specific sites it could lead to sites being<br>
decommissioned," she<br>
said. "If the ultimate endgame is a site being turned off<br>
because of<br>
noncompliance, the area immediately around that site is going to<br>
have an<br>
immediate negative impact. It's going to hurt public safety from<br>
day one."<br>
<br>
<br>
By DAVID TWIDDY AP Business Writer<br>
<br>
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