AT&T got clearance for its drone program to lift off Monday, and the company isn’t wasting any time thinking of ways to use them.
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The drones can quickly spot weak points.
Photo by: DALLAS BUSINESS JOURNAL
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Last week, AT&T demonstrated how it plans to use drones to test the network in AT&T Stadium. Before, the company would take a week to test every seat in the stadium, looking for weak points in the coverage map.
Now with the use of drones, that process takes a day, saving the company time and money. A drone hooked up with software flies around the stadium and tests out the network.
“As far as I know, I haven’t heard anyone else doing this,” said Art Pregler, AT&T drone program director. He also said this will probably be the new norm for stadium testing, rather than doing it manually.
Drones also can be used for cell inspections. Back in July, Pregler spoke with the Dallas Business Journal about AT&T using drones to fly up hundreds of feet to look at towers, reducing risk for technicians.
Evan Hoopfer is the Dallas Business Journal’s digital reporter.
