Deutsche Telekom (OTCQX: DTEGY) reported that it is using a drone to provide mobile network coverage to customers on a live commercial network. From an altitude of around 7,500 feet, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with an integrated mobile base station provided coverage on the slopes at the Jizerská 50 race, part of Ski Classics, in the Jizera Mountains along the border between the Czech Republic and Poland.
Deutsche Telekom’s innovation team in the Czech Republic collaborated with unmanned aviation experts Primoco UAV SE to develop and test the solution for temporary mobile coverage. During its first deployment, the drone provided continuous coverage under favorable weather conditions for four hours to an otherwise uncovered 3.7 mile stretch of the Jizerská 50 route. Deutsche Telekom states it is the first mobile network operator in Europe to deploy this type of flying base station.
The Primoco One 150 drone, designed and manufactured in the Czech Republic, has a built-in base station that can be connected “air-to-ground” to a terrestrial backhaul as well as via satellite “air-to-space”. The system enables download speeds of up to 200 Mbps and 75 Mbps upload speeds and can serve up to 1,200 users simultaneously. The drone measures 12 feet long and 4 feet high, with a wingspan of 16 feet.
Deutsche Telekom indicates that the new drone solution can be deployed in various scenarios. These situations include large sporting or cultural events in areas with special legal requirements or inaccessible terrain, as well as in crisis situations such as floods, earthquakes, or fires when terrestrial infrastructure is compromised. The company says the drone can quickly provide mobile communications both for those affected and for first responders.
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