Mobile network service provider Vodafone is set to unveil “fixer drones” for monitoring and reconnecting service connections in bad weather.
The company revealed in a blog on 20 February that the drones will be used to restore connectivity to mobile masts and re-establish connectivity for customers using a wireless link.
This comes in handy at times when an underground cable linking mobile masts is either cut or damaged, as well as in a disaster recovery situation.
Taking precaution
Backhaul fibre cables linking masts are usually buried in the ground, making them susceptible to damage by mechanical diggers and vandalism.
Vodafone deals with 75 to 100 such cable breaks every year across Europe, which can result in major service disruptions.
To prevent this, the company is deploying these drones which were tested earlier this month in Seville, Spain.
During the test, Vodafone worked with the wireless optical connectivity moonshot at Google X, Taara to demonstrate how two industrial-grade drones equipped with Taara’s light beam terminals could be used to deliver a temporary connection.
The drones equipped with Taara briefly established a two-way connection over three kilometres, demonstrating that novel combinations of new technologies could potentially be used in future to address infrastructure challenges.
The new drones will be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC25), scheduled for 3-5 March 2025 alongside other novel ideas Vodafone has developed.
Other exhibits
Apart from the drones, Vodafone also plans to unveil 30 exhibits arranged across five zones, namely future of work, digital transformation, sports science, AI-driven customer experience and scaled IT service platforms.
Among these are global network sensing capabilities for improved weather forecasting at a microclimate level and battery-less IoT devices powered by their surrounding environment.
The company is also showcasing the latest innovations in Open Radio Access Networks (RAN), Mission Critical Communications (MCX), Network APIs and Mobile Private Networks, and scalable shared services from VOIS.
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