Verizon and AT&T are putting drones in the sky to deliver cellular and wireless connections to first responders and victims impacted by Hurricane Lane. Some cell towers were damaged in Hawaii. Drones can temporarily restore connections to those affected, reported Drone DJ.
According to Michael Haberman, Verizon Network’s Vice President, “If a site goes down and you have people trapped, they have cell phones but they can’t use them because if there’s a problem with the local tower you can bring this drone in and bring connectivity. We all know how helpful that can be for rescuers.”
Currently, Verizon is in the testing phases with their cellular drones and AT&T already has multiple iterations of their drones. How do they work? Some of the devices use eight motors while others use a single motor resembling a helicopter. Remote radio heads are mounted to the bottom of the aircraft that stay tethered to the ground through a fiber optic cable. This connects to larger units stationed on the ground, with the drone acting as an antenna that can hover at high altitudes to emit a signal. The drones have a long endurance in order to stay in the air for extended periods, providing uninterrupted service to dead zones, reported Drone DJ.
Drones have already been used during other natural disasters, like in the aftermath of the hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico last year. After 90 percent of the island’s cell towers were not operational, the FAA granted AT&T permission to use drones to temporarily provide connection to those affected.
This technology is still in the beginning stages but has the potential to provide invaluable support for future natural disasters when it comes to connectivity, reported Drone DJ.
Comments? Contact: editor@insidetowers.com
August 30, 2018
