In order to serve people with reliable 5G connections in the areas of wide-open rural fields, AT&T is launching drones instead of traditional cell towers.
Called the COWs (Cell On Wings), AT&T deployed these drones in a non-emergency area in Missouri and said these would cover a range of 10 square miles with a reliable 5G network, that helps users with faster downloads and streaming content.
Drones to Spread 5G Network in the US
Just as they heard that T-Mobile announced a new 5G-based voice calls service, its rival AT&T today announced a new plan to cover the wide rural areas with a 5G network. And it’s through drones – called Cell on Wings (COWs).
AT&T has been using this technology for quite a time, for spreading the 4G signals all over empty areas where traditional cell towers can’t be installed. And this week marks the first time the company deployed these drones to spread the 5G signals in a wide rural area.
The company announced using them on a farm filled with cows and other barnyard animals, in Missouri. This was also a non-emergency area with a weak 4G signal previously, said AT&T. And with the new 5G-based COWs, AT&T claims to offer a reliable 5G network of about a 10 square mile area around the flying drone!
This is huge and is needed amidst the US entering summer with a growing risk of natural disasters. Having a portable drone hotspot to help users with their faster downloads, streaming content and most importantly, data-based voice calls to reach their loved ones is appreciated.