We take for granted that our phones usually have a signal, and recently I got to visit a top secret facility that keeps everything up and running.
It’s one of Verizon’s many secret switch facilities around the nation, where calls and data are routed.
The irony is that cell phone calls are only wireless from your phone to the tower. From there, the connection travels via cables to a “core.” These switch rooms placed around the nation and serve as the brains of the operation. Inside I saw racks filled with 4G and 5G transport gear, routers and servers.
The 3G area was empty – I was told they’re already preparing for 6G and 7G.
The next stop is power and backup systems. In the DC power room, rows of backup batteries can keep the site running for 17 hours.
A smaller AC power room is nearby.
“Lots of redundancy,” said Gil Nishino, with Verizon, who served as my unofficial tour guide. I asked if it’s always been this way and he said “That’s what made Verizon, Verizon.”
Outside sit five giant diesel generators with tanks that hold up to 10,000 gallons of fuel.
“Diesel fuel could go bad if it sits too long. So we always exercise it, get the fuel moving,” Nishino explained. There are also, two portable trucks – nicknamed GOATs for “generator on a truck” – which can be deployed anywhere.
Back inside, the control room monitors everything 24/7. “So if something goes wrong, we know real time,” said Nishino.
And if a cell tower goes down, Verizon’s latest innovation can restore service in seconds.
I got to witness the launch of a tethered drone, which stays powered from the ground.
Base stations pull in a satellite signal and broadcast it as a cell signal to the surrounding area.
“We can fly this up and have emergency coverage for our customers and our first responders immediately,” Nishino said.
This drone technology has evolved over the years, and I got to see the latest iteration. The tech was used recently during the Maui wildfires and after various hurricanes.
