iPhone-controlled drones have become popular lately for capturing stunning video like Apple’s Campus 2 in addition to offering pure recreational fun, and AT&T has a vision for how drones could go further and actually improve the LTE connection to your iPhone.
While detailing how the network is already using drones in the field, AT&T imagines a future where drones could be used as cellular repeaters to provide boosted LTE signals in temporarily packed venues and other hard-to-reach locations where towers may not be enough:
AT&T says that such a scenario isn’t deployable just yet, but the carrier has entered the trial phase of its national drone program that will focus on how drones can improve the network experience for customers in various ways.
But this drone isn’t taking photos or videos of the band. It’s temporarily providing enhanced LTE wireless coverage at the packed venue so you, along with thousands of others in attendance, can simultaneously send photos and videos to share the moment.
The carrier says it’s currently deploying drones to “perform aerial inspections of our cell towers” which it plans to demo at its SHAPE Tech Expo on Friday and Saturday in San Francisco this week. Connecting drones to its LTE network lets it test connectivity in the field and receive data to make changes instantly and without human risk:
AT&T’s Art Pregler who has extensive experience in the United States Air Force is leading the carrier’s drone effort. The carrier is also looking at ways drone use could directly impact customers in the future:
