Burnaby, B.C.'s Alpha Technologies powers FCC funded remote telecom projects

Burnaby, B.C.-based Alpha Technologies Ltd. has released two new products aimed at powering DSLAMs (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers) incorporated into CAF-II projects beyond network locations typically associated with OSP (outside plant) remote telecommunication terminals.
Alpha Technologies designs and manufactures AC and DC power solutions for the telecom, cable broadband and traffic industries.
These new products are aimed at powering service providers supplying telecommunications services in areas of the United States that are in underserved network regions, and are being funded by the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) program for expanding access to voice and broadband services.
The FCC describes this program as “comparable to extending electricity and phone service to rural America early in the twentieth century, and building the interstate highway system in the 1950s and ’60s.”
“Alpha is committed to helping our customers make their CAF-II deployments quick and painless by delivering a wide array of LinePower solutions and backup power products that are tailored to their applications,” said Tony Wilson, Director of Sales. “Both of these innovative products originated from Alpha’s extensive work with service providers in the early stage of CAF-II programs. They solve real-world problems and make it easier for our customers to turn CAF-II projects into routine deployments.”
The Connect America Fund (CAF), also known as the universal service High-Cost program, is the FCC’s multi-year program for expanding access to voice and broadband services for areas where they are unavailable, or are either unserved or underserved by unsubsidized service providers.
CAF Phase II is the component of the program through which the FCC provides funding to local telephone companies to subsidize the cost of building new network infrastructure or performing network upgrades to provide voice and broadband service in areas where it is lacking.
The first product, the outdoor rated FLPS04, extends power over the edge of the carrier’s network over copper pairs for up to two typical DSLAMs that serve 12 to 48 customers, and is housed in a lightweight, NEMA 3R cabinet designed for either pole or wall mounting, supporting extended runtimes at -40°C using a built-in battery heater.
The FLPS04 combines a rectifier and sealed Line Power unit to deliver up to four ±190Vdc circuits from any location where AC power is readily available, powering DSLAMs at the far edge of the communications network, beyond the typical location of OSP remote terminals, while the MPS12-100 supplies backup power for AC-powered DSLAMs, with backup power ranging from 30 minutes to eight hours.
The second product, the MPS 12-100, is an integrated, outdoor rated uninterruptible power supply (UPS) housed in a compact NEMA 3R cabinet, the basic model of which includes a single 7.2Ah battery that provides more than 30 minutes of runtime, covering well over 90% of grid interruptions, while also preventing nuisance resets of the DSLAM and providing sufficient time to alert the NOC should a condition persist.
One of Alpha Technologies’ partners is broadband communications access systems and software provider Calix, whose Unified Access portfolio allows service providers to connect to their residential and business subscribers by deploying service over fiber- and copper-based network architectures.