Drones have become super popular in recent years, giving people new ways to capture photos and videos like they never have before and perform other jobs. Now AT&T has announced that it’s looking at a new way to use drones.
AT&T is looking at using drones to improve its cellular network. The big blue carrier is launching a trial phase of its drone program in which it hopes to use drones to capture data on its network and make tweaks in real time. AT&T also says that it could use Flying COWs (Cell On Wings) to beef up its LTE coverage during major events or disasters.
AT&T’s use of drones is still in a trial phase, so it’s unclear when or if we’ll see AT&T widely roll out drones for use with its network.
As drones continue to improve in quality, AT&T’s idea to use the flying machines to augment its network is an interesting one. The drones could let AT&T more quickly deploy added cell coverage to places that need it. That said, I could also see some rowdy event-goers trying to take down a drone that’s flying over the crowd and providing additional cell coverage, so that’s something that AT&T will need to consider.