Though law enforcement and emergency responders have been using drones to give them an ‘eye in the sky’ for years, they may soon provide ears as well. Verizon and AT&T are both exploring using unmanned aerial vehicles as flying mobile hot spots to provide phone and other services when cell towers are down or in areas where service simply doesn’t exist.
After Hurricane Sandy, and while witnessing the effects of many other natural disasters since then, Verizon began launching drones into the sky, at an altitude of about 3,000 feet, for testing. Cape May, New Jersey became the host for testing, as officials have promoted the county as a site for commercial drone-development programs. They have tested texting and voice and found full coverage within their radius. With the testing, Verizon is trying to determine how a portable 4G LTE hot spot could work in an area where disaster impacted service, and there was no other way of cellular coverage in the area. Verizon is not alone; AT&T is constructing a nationwide disaster readiness network called FirstNet. Part of the FirstNet program will include technology to provide cell service from the sky.
While focusing on drone usage for cell service, companies are also exploring other possible uses for drones, like collecting photographic data from above. To learn more about the current testing and what might be in store in the future, visit here.