Let the government pay for the battery backup systems. These systems, the gov't claims, are for the benefit of rescue efforts then that means all taxpayers in the area benefit. That being the case then let all taxpayers pay for it instead of slamming the wireless companies (and thus the wireless ratepayers) for the whole bill.
This unfunded mandate bullshit has got to stop. The feds (along with every other level of gov't) just gives everyone a big fat expensive to do list with no plans on how they're supposed to pay for any of it.