T-Mobile US and Valmont, an agricultural equipment and infrastructure manufacturer, announced the completion of an unmanned, 77-mile beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operation. The Harris Aerial H6E drone travelled non-stop flight from Childress to Aspermont, Texas and was equipped with a T-Mobile 5G-connected Sony A7RM5 camera.
T-Mobile 5G provided live data transfer throughout the entire flight, even though much of it took place over rural areas. This task was three times faster than conventional methods, while using less than two gallons of fuel. As it traveled, the drone inspected critical infrastructure such as power lines, railroads and bridges.
Traditional methods for infrastructure monitoring typically require extensive manpower, manned aircraft operations or ground-based inspections, which involve safety risks, more time and more money. By using 5G, Valmont’s drone inspection service can monitor infrastructure sites with greater accuracy, which will help prevent malfunctions and breakdowns before they have a chance to have a widespread impact.
“Range has been a hurdle in the drone inspection space, until now,” says Jake Lahmann, UAS manager at Valmont Industries Inc. “To be able to get this kind of range in a single drone flight is really going to revolutionise the way the industry approaches infrastructure inspections.”
“5G was built to make life easier,” adds Ulf Ewaldsson, president of technology at T-Mobile. “Whether it’s connecting a person on their smartphone or improving long-range drone infrastructure inspections, there is no doubt that the reach and speed of T-Mobile 5G is making it possible for entire industries to revolutionise the way they work.”
Mission highlights:
- Valmont drone inspection teams used less than one-fourth gallon of fuel per hour.
- Flight pushes average distance of UAS inspections from less than 20 miles per day to more than 60.
- Even though the route was very rural, T-Mobile 5G provided live data transfer throughout the three-hour flight.
- The Sony A7RM5 combined with the ability to fly closely to utility lines, provided high-resolution details for critical infrastructure inspection.
- The flight proves that drones are a viable, safe, and efficient alternative to helicopters for infrastructure.
- Harris Aerial’s drone and Valmont’s proprietary payload are fully National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA) compliant.
Valmont’s drone ambitions include offering drone-in-a-box (DiaB) services nationwide in 2024. The service will allow anyone in need of aerial inspection services to simply order and unbox a drone while a Valmont pilot flies it remotely from virtually anywhere in the U.S.
For more information on Valmont Industries Inc. visit Valmont.
For more information on T-Mobile’s network, visit T-Mobile.
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