AT&T said it’s deploying a fleet of 25 drones to areas in southeast Texas impacted by Hurricane Harvey to check cell towers.
AT&T, which is also using them to determine network impact in those areas, noted that the drones are helpful to inspect assess damage in areas that aren’t accessible to cars or trucks due to flooding or are otherwise inaccessible due to storm damage.
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Those drones can take HD video and photos of a cell site, providing visuals of equipment, components and cabling, AT&T said, noting that engineers can use the technology to inspect the cell sites remotely from the ground in real-time.
Update: This sample video shows the drones in action, including a stating site in San Antonio and cell tower inspection footage taken in the Corpus Christi area.
AT&T added that it plans to deploy two Satellite Cell on Wheels (Sat COLTs) in Beaumont, Texas, and to stage 12 more in the area to support customers and first responders in that area in the wake of the storm.
