Deutsche Telekom has joined a steadily growing number of carriers trailing base stations in the sky.
Working alongside Czech firm Primoco, the operator provided mobile connectivity via drones for a large-scale event.
T-Mobile Czech Republic lent its expertise to the project, which saw two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flown over the Brdy Protected Landscape Area in Nepomuk, Czechia.
The drones were fitted with integrated base stations and would alternate their paths, providing mobile coverage across an area of around 7.7 square miles (20 square kilometers).
During the event, mobile devices automatically connected to the UAV-mounted base stations operating at frequency bands used in typical terrestrial networks, offering data rates of up to 100Mbps. Satellite backhaul was also employed for both aircraft, meaning they didn’t have to connect to additional ground stations.
