Could drones someday fix tower problems without a climber? AT&T wants to find out, and its drone ambitions go way beyond its own company.
AT&T is phasing in a drone program, initially to inspect their towers and test service coverage. The carrier has been conducting trials for several months, reports The Seattle Times. In the demo at the University of Washington’s Husky Stadium, AT&T displayed how drones could be used to test signal quality and inspect towers. FAA rules governing commercial drone use took effect earlier this week.
“AT&T is going to be one of the biggest users of drones in the United States,” Art Pregler, head of the carrier’s drone program, told GeekWire. The unmanned aircraft can transmit video to an operations center for review.
While a drone can’t tell the carrier everything it needs to know about the condition of a tower, the images can give a tower crew a preview of what to expect before they make the climb.
Pregler also believes drones can help the carrier conduct required bird-nesting surveys and gage the impact of floods and fires on cellular resources, according to GeekWire.
AT&T is working with five drone vendors and expects to expand its operations over several months. The carrier is developing specialized “Cell on Wings” to increase cell coverage at large events.
Thinking years down the road, AT&T Labs is looking to add artificial intelligence to drones. Pregler believes someday remote operators might use drones equipped with tools to fix some problems without a tower climber.
The carrier is thinking beyond its own needs, and exploring the development of a drone traffic management system for other companies’ drones, according to the expert.
