Corrosion in The Electrical or Electronic Components of Telecommunications Equipment

Abstract

The provision of economical telecommunications service requires effective maintenance management of a huge infrastructure of telecommunications equipment. A major maintenance concern is corrosion of the many metal components in telecommunications equipment. This paper examines the corrosion of the electrical or electronic components in telecommunications equipment, for example, corrosion in past conventional telephone switching equipment such as cross-bar switches that use mechanical contacts, the electrolytic corrosion in telephone jacks, and the sulfurization corrosion of Ag line patterns on semiconductor substrates. In addition, we examine the problem of corrosion in the closed packages of outdoor equipment caused by an accumulation of sea salt particles, dust, and humidity in the future.