Saudi Telecom Company (STC), the leading provider of telecommunications voice and data services to the population of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, installed Saft specialised NCX rechargeable nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries at 100 sites during 2005 to provide power back-up where its remote access network connects to the main exchange. In its first major project for STC, Saft Nife Middle East recommended the switch to Ni-Cd batteries to solve the problems experienced by STC when using VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) batteries in outdoor telecoms cabinets where the extreme temperatures were a cause of low reliability and premature failure. Starting in 2003, STC asked Saft Nife Middle East Ltd to develop a back-up power solution for outdoor telecoms cabinets that would both meet the requirements for reliability in extreme temperatures and would fit within the limited space available. Saft supplied a field trial battery comprising 38 NCX80 cells (for a nominal voltage of 48 V and 80 Ah capacity). After successful site testing for over a year, in 2005 STC rolled out the Saft batteries to 100 sites.
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