Sprint will deploy hydrogen fuel cell technology as backup power to rooftop network sites with financial assistance from the Department of Energy (DOE). The solution should allow for lower network site maintenance and cleaner network energy sources and will increase network survivability during power outages, says the company.

In 2009 the DOE provided a $7.3 million grant for Sprint to support fuel cell technology advances. Rooftop cell sites comprise almost 25 percent of Sprint’s total network locations for which fuel cells have not been an option. As much as 30 percent of total network cell sites are located on rooftops in some major metropolitan areas.

[Image courtesy: Sprint]