Are Drones Part of Our Future?

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By Michelle Choi, an insider at Lease Advisors

Drones—unmanned aerial vehicles without human pilots aboard—have historically been known as a military innovation used and developed for training and attack during the early 1900s. Now, after gaining significant attention on a number of platforms including advertising campaigns and aerial footage in viral media, the technology is being expanded and applied in new settings. Drones present tower companies with great potential, but not without security concerns and operational constraints.


In the telecom world, this aerial technology is already being tested for tower inspection, network optimization, line-of-sight testing, and radio planning. Drones are able to provide high-quality site audits and identify areas of improvement and repair. In natural disasters, drones may be useful in assessing potential damage. Nokia has largely focused on testing the capabilities of drones, but other companies look to carry out actual repairs and part delivery. British Telecommunications Group’s Head of Customer Innovation, Matthew Key, predicts that drones will be used to provide temporary Internet access during network disruptions, large events, and in logistical challenges.
Physical limitations, structural requirements, substantial legal regulations, and policy obstacles could render widespread adoption of drone use in tower operations a long way off. Some are concerned that drones are difficult to fly, limited by the visibility of a pilot who is present but on the ground, have strict limitations on the weight they may carry, and are prone to potentially dangerous crashes. Drones must be prepared to handle extreme weather conditions and be able to work with the precision and judgment of a cell tower climber before the technology can significantly impact the tower industry. Because drones are cheaper than helicopters and less expensive than terrestrial vehicles, companies will likely conduct small scale deployments by the dozen rather than by the hundreds.
Commercial and non-commercial drones entering the skies require a traffic management control system to manage the airspace. Finally, the potential for security breaches and privacy invasion by telecom and tech companies have led to concern from many. Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor stated, “that type of technology has to stimulate us to think about what is it that we cherish in privacy and how far we want to protect it and from whom.”
Drones have quite a way to go before the technology becomes ubiquitous in the telecom industry. Key wrote in a recent blog post that, “with a little creativity, drones could change the world.” Creativity, no doubt, but also thorough consideration, negotiation, and resolution of the potential dangers and repercussions of drones is needed as well. 2015 is not likely to be the “breakthrough year” for the technology.

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