AT&T, Verizon have drones that restore cell service during disasters
While we might take for granted that our wireless provider's network is always up and running, there are times when forces out of their control happen, and these so-called "Acts of God" will result in service going down. Hurricanes usually result in outages that can take weeks to repair. The FCC says that 90% of cell sites in Puerto Rico were down following Hurricane Maria last year.
Verizon is in the process of testing a 200-pound gas-powered drone in Cape May County, New Jersey. The drone provides 4G LTE service to an area covering one mile. Verizon Network Vice President Michael Haberman says that first responders are interested in the drone since it quickly brings cell service to areas where coverage has been lost. While Verizon's drones are still being tested, Haberman says that they will be available for use later this year, if needed.
"Could you imagine if you'd be able to bring drones through an area, and you can cover a mile, which is a pretty big area, and all of the sudden the user, who most have smartphones, can actually use their smartphone product and call for help and help us identify where they are."-Michael Haberman, Network VP, Verizon
You can see what the drones look like and watch them in action by clicking on the video at the top of this article.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: