Use of Drone in Telecom industry

Now a days telecommunications using drone for Line of sight testing and for radio planing

The team manually flew the copter around the tower, with a flight plan consisting of several vertical columns approximately 13 meters away from the tower.

Electromagnetic wave interference can be a challenge for operating near communication sites, but thanks to an experienced drone pilot, the team was able to fly close to the tower, capturing images with over 80% of overlap and getting a high ground sampling distance of 0.2 centimeters.

Roughly 400 images were taken, which provide detailed information of the antenna and the mount for inventory purposes.

About 5 years ago, I started to hear about drones being used for observing towers for migratory birds prior to sending out a tower crew.  This had many benefits from increased safety to reduced expenses.  However, due to the limitation on what drones could initially provide, within the tower industry their use essentially only amounted to an improved set of eyes. But that has changed rapidly.

Tower photos used to be limited due to gravity. Now a drone can provide unobstructed views from the outside of the tower looking in, along with improved aspect views. Photos from the top of the tower are limited by your distance from the item and the quality of that photo. Photogrammetry captured by the drone can be utilized for the compound too.

A tower technician will still be needed to install equipment following the plans given to them; however, with the data obtained from the drone, the people working on the tower have a more accurate evaluation of the existing conditions and encounter less surprises in the field. They are also able to prep the material before climbing the tower or even before leaving the warehouse and understand that their work is being evaluated by a more robust third party system.

The greater speed, accuracy and feedback will improve the industry. The teams that are not good at their trade will receive critical feedback and reinforcement, while good teams will be rewarded with sustained and ongoing opportunities. Uniformity on the towers will result in faster and safer builds which will result in additional profits for all parties involved. Historical evidence will contribute to improved solutions which will continue to improve the industry.