Sprint has announced plans to use fuel cells as the backup power source at some of its base station sites.
Most cell sites have diesel-based generators to provide electrical power in the event of an emergency. Sprint says that while it still uses diesel at most sites, the fuel cell program should help the company reduce its carbon footprint. The fuel cells will be installed on rooftop cell sites. Sprint said it is still working to develop the fuel cells, but it imagines that they will be modular and easier to install than diesel-based generators, which often require a crane.
Sprint is receiving some financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy for the project, and believes it can begin installing the hydrogen-based fuel cells by the end of the year.
