Computerworld is testing drones which can provide mobile phone coverage when infrastructure is down, such as after a natural disaster. However, Telstra chief technology officer Hakan Eriksson said that the drones could be connected to a power lead attached to a ground-based generator – potentially allowing near-indefinite flight time. Capable of 384 simultaneous calls and a forty-five minute flight time when airborne, the drones can be attached, via power leads, to ground-based generators, such as the company's "cell on wheels" mobile station, to handle 384 calls at once and have an indefinite flight time. Where cell tower coverage is constricted by the curvature of the Earth , the drones have a larger coverage radius due to their 384 m altitude capabilities.
Computerworld is testing drones which can provide mobile phone coverage when infrastructure is down, such as after a natural disaster. Capable of 384 simultaneous calls and a forty-five minute flight time when airborne, the drones can be attached, via power leads, to ground-based generators, such as the company's "cell on wheels" mobile station, to handle 384 calls at once and have an indefinite flight time. Where cell tower coverage is constricted by the curvature of the Earth , the drones have a larger coverage radius due to their 384 m altitude capabilities.