Drones have been employed at Husky Stadium, the home of the University of Washington’s American football team, as part of a project to improve the venue's mobile phone service.
The drones were called in by the university to test the signal on the concourse and in the stands at the stadium. A team of engineers could have been used but drones were viewed as the more efficient method.
The signal during games inside Husky Stadium is often poor, which has led to telecommunications company AT&T installing 20 per cent more cell capacity at the venue. The drones were used to test out AT&T’s upgrades.
“Now we are able to do that in approximately four hours using a drone to replace what the human was doing,” Art Pregler, AT&T’s unmanned aircraft system programme director, told the Komo News website.
Drone laws have been relaxed in the US, allowing AT&T to carry out the tests. Owners need only pass an aeronautical knowledge test and a background check before registering their device with the Federal Aviation Administration.
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