Drone technology has evolved from uncrewed aircraft primarily for military purposes to aerial vehicles for a variety of military, civilian, and commercial uses. Today, drones are used in agriculture, construction, logistics, environmental monitoring, and even entertainment.
The telecommunications industry is readily adopting drones too. With widely distributed networks of towers and communication lines that provide coverage even in remote areas, telecom companies find drones an effective solution for tasks that are characterized by the four D’s of robotization: dull, dirty, dangerous, and dear.
According to Statista, in more than half of all use cases, drones assist in surveying and mapping operations. These are also prime use cases in telecommunications, as drones can help telecom companies better plan tower and line locations. In addition, telecom providers actively use drones to scan networks, inspect equipment, and test coverage.
Drone usage worldwide, by application
Source
The use of drones in the telecommunications industry is opening lots of new opportunities that hardly seemed possible before. In this post, we discuss how drones are changing the telecommunications landscape by automating and optimizing routine processes.
Benefits of using drones in telecom operations
As in any other industry, the advantages of using drones in telecommunications are based on replacing manual labor with unmanned vehicles. Working in hard-to-reach locations and automating manual tasks, drones contribute to increasing the productivity of telecom providers and boosting their competitiveness.
- Improved efficiency. Drones can reach locations much faster than teams of workers and collect data within a shorter time, decreasing the time needed for certain tasks and raising operational efficiency.
- Enhanced accuracy. Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and GPS modules can capture images and data more accurately than human surveyors, improving the quality of data analytics.
- Broader data collection options. Drones can capture a variety of data types, including visual, thermal, LiDAR, and multispectral. Drones carrying specialized equipment can collect required data faster and more accurately than humans.
- Greater safety. Sending drones to unsafe locations reduces the risk of accidents for telecom personnel and raises the overall safety of inspection and maintenance operations.
- Increased accessibility. Drones can reach remote locations that are otherwise difficult to access, enabling telecom coverage in such areas and expanding a telecom provider’s geographic presence.
- High flexibility. Drones can be set up and deployed quickly, with dynamic adjustments made to match the current task and working conditions.
- Optimized costs. By reducing the need for manual labor, drones can help telecom companies lower costs. Additional optimizations come from the increased speed and accuracy of data collection.
Components of a drone system for telecom operations
The main role of drones in the telecommunications industry is aerial surveillance. Drones collect various types of data, capture images, and transmit the data they gather to the processing, storage, and analytical capacities of the telecommunications system. To enable continuous operation, telecom companies need to set up well-organized infrastructure comprising both hardware and software.
A typical aerial surveillance system includes the following components:
- Drone and corresponding equipment. The aerial vehicle responsible for collecting the necessary data is the main component of the system. Depending on their purpose, drones may be equipped with various devices designed to enable and assist in data collection:
- High-resolution cameras
- Infrared or night-vision cameras
- Thermal sensors
- LiDAR scanners
- Image filters and intensifiers
- Communication network. To transmit high-definition images and other data, a drone must be connected to a base station via a mobile network or radio signal. Today, telecom companies can use advanced communication technologies such as 5G or satellite networks, accelerating transmissions and improving data quality.
- Control interfaces. At base stations, drone operators use specially designed applications to control and navigate drones remotely and make decisions in real time.
- Automation software. For drones to fulfil their designated tasks, special software products are used to configure their flight schedules, monitor incoming data in real time, or trigger predefined activities such as capturing a moving target.
- Data storage. Image, thermal, LiDAR, or other data transmitted by drones must be stored for further processing and analysis.
- Data analytics software. To generate insights for business decision-making, data gathered by drones is processed by algorithms that convert it into human-understandable formats and present it using various visualization techniques.
- Software integration. For drone data to be effectively consumed and processed by a telecommunication company’s internal systems, the configuration needs integration solutions enabling data flow and supporting connectivity with the existing enterprise product ecosystem.
Use of drones in the telecom industry
Drone services in telecom can play a significant role in optimizing and accelerating planning, maintenance, and inspection processes for providers. Let’s look at the most typical use cases.
Drone mapping
Capturing high-resolution images of terrain, drones provide valuable data for creating maps or 3D models of an area that telecom engineers can then use to plan new networks or extend existing ones. Depending on the technology used, various types of maps can be produced using data gathered by drones: orthomosaic, contour lines, triangle mesh, classified point cloud, and others.
Network and tower inspection
Telecom companies use drones to visually inspect towers, antennas, fiber optic cables, and other network components that can be challenging to reach by humans. Transmitting images of telecommunications equipment in real time, drones help to detect damage early so that maintenance crews can minimize or even prevent service interruptions.
Such an approach allows providers to switch to preventive maintenance, anticipating and fixing issues before major damage occurs. In the aftermath of a disaster, drones also allow telecom operators to quickly assess critical points of impact to prioritize network recovery and efficiently dispatch service teams. As a result, overall service availability and network performance increases, raising customer satisfaction and strengthening a telecom provider’s competitiveness.
Signal strength and network coverage testing
A drone carrying special antennas and radio frequency measurement devices can be used to create maps of coverage and signal strength. Operators of 5G networks can use drones to test communications at different altitudes to determine the signal range.
Using drones for signal strength testing, telecom companies can identify areas of poor coverage and plan enhancements to provide reliable service to their users.
Security surveillance
Drones transmitting high-resolution images or thermal imaging in real time can improve security of telecom infrastructure, detecting attempts at vandalism or sabotage. Aerial access to remote locations provides drones with vantage points from which they can survey an area that may be hard to reach on the ground.
Drones patrolling telecom networks can help to detect unauthorized access or equipment tampering. As a result, network operators can either prevent damage to infrastructure or quickly repair it by knowing the exact location of the incident.
Challenges of implementing drone technology in the telecom industry
While drones have existed since the 1950s, the technology in its current form is relatively new, which is why many companies may face a lack of skilled drone engineers who can set up and operate an effective system. The technology is also under active development, with cutting-edge solutions appearing every year.
Another challenge is a rather long list of regulations governing the use of drones in telecom and other industries. From pilot certification to airspace restrictions and data protection laws, telecom companies need to take into account multiple compliance requirements when designing a drone system for their network operations.
For companies planning to implement drone-powered solutions in telecom operations, it may be a good idea to partner with an experienced engineering services provider that can assist them with designing, developing, and deploying a custom drone solution. A services provider will consider both the telecom company’s specific needs and applicable compliance requirements.
Our experience implementing drone and mapping technology
Partnering with leading providers of mapping and location services, Intellias brings broad expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, and engineering to create advanced solutions for navigation, data visualization, and data modeling.
Drone data management platform
To improve the safety of drone operations, we collaborated with a provider of drone navigation software and related data to develop a drone programming platform for improving drone control and enhancing aeronautical maps with useful features.
Among other things, the solution produces detailed maps for drone navigation, including all data needed to ensure flight safety. At the same time, it enables flexible flight planning based on multiple factors such as drone characteristics, airspace control, applicable regulations, and even weather conditions.
This project resulted in the development of an innovative platform that can be used in multiple industries that benefit from drone operations: logistics, telecommunications, construction, infrastructure, and more.
3D mapping solution for data visualization
In collaboration with a global location services company, we built a comprehensive 3D map rendering solution supporting advanced data visualization and automated processing that is integrated with the user-facing mapping data platform.
The delivered product enhanced our partner’s digital mapping services with rich and accurate location content, supporting multiple functions such as geocoding, routing, and real-time traffic visualization. The solution provides access to an extensive library of location data, allowing users to build custom mapping and navigation applications.
3D point cloud processing software
For a provider of AI-powered geospatial services, we created an intelligent 3D point cloud processing solution capable of managing big data sets. The software included advanced object recognition and classification features as well as rendering and visualization capabilities.
The software solution enables processing of data obtained from LiDAR scanners, aerial images transmitted by drones, and portable sensors. The ingested data is segmented, classified, and labeled for further use in rendering 3D terrain models. Advanced machine learning algorithms automating 3D point data accelerate processing and rendering, ensuring positive user experiences.
The future of drones in telecom operations
The drone market is growing fast and is projected to reach US$54.6 billion by 2030. The increasing adoption of drones in the telecom industry is proving revolutionary, reshaping multiple processes and augmenting network operations.
The obvious benefits of using drones in telecom have driven their adoption by multiple operators. At the same time, drones take advantage of cutting-edge technologies, integrating with the latest artificial intelligence and machine learning tools, Internet of Things solutions, and advanced data analytics. At the same time, drones are becoming smaller, lighter, and their cost is decreasing, which makes the technology more accessible for businesses of various sizes.
Development of the telecommunications sector has its effect on drones, too. The expanding deployment of 5G networks and the possibility of drones using 5G bandwidth may improve their performance, accelerate transmission, and reduce latency.
On the other hand, operators of 5G networks are testing the possibility of using drones to augment their services. In such projects, drones may help to restore 5G connectivity during emergencies, when regular coverage is not available. Network augmentation is a promising line of drone use in the telecommunications industry and is getting close attention from both telecom providers and authorities.
Bottom line
As the lifeblood of today’s society, the telecommunications industry is always on the lookout for ways to make their services more efficient and available. Drones are helping the telecom industry transform by taking data speed and accuracy to the next level, providing quick access to hard-to-reach locations, and replacing human effort with innovative technologies.
The growing adoption of drones in the telecom industry and their integration with other pioneering technologies such as AI/ML, the Internet of Things, and data analytics is opening new horizons for providers. Those who embrace innovation become leaders in the industry, securing a competitive advantage, customer loyalty, and steady growth.
