Mobile network carrier AT&T Inc. is hoping to address the problem of spotty cell phone reception during crowded events with a new secret project known as “Flying COWS” (the COWS part stands for “Cell on Wings”).

Those who regularly attend music concerts or some other crowded event (like a baseball game) know only too well how difficult it can be to upload pics to Facebook during such times – let alone trying to live stream it. What with so many people in and around the area all trying to use their cell phones, networks get jammed pretty quickly, because the current LTE infrastructure in place simply isn’t enough to cope with so many thousands of people all trying to use it in the same time.

AT&T’s answer is, like Facebook and Google before it, to use drones to deliver what it calls temporary networks in areas where it knows large crowds of people are set to gather.

AT&T previously announced it was partnering with Intel to study how drones could be used to provide LTE networks, and now the company says it’s ready to begin trials of the technology. One aspect of the program involves using tethered drones (Flying COWS) to fly overhead crowded venues like concerts and sporting events to provide additional connectivity to those in attendance.

The company says the drones will be tasked with “temporarily providing enhanced LTE wireless coverage at the packed venue so you, along with thousands of others in attendance, can simultaneously send photos and videos to share the moment”.

Certainly, drones have their advantages. They are fast and relatively safe, and they can reach places where humans cannot go. As such, they can also be used for things beyond boosting network coverage, for example by delivering wireless services to remote locations, or providing coverage in disaster areas where existing infrastructure has been damaged.

As mentioned above, both Google and Facebook have also been exploring the idea of using drones to deliver Wi-Fi connectivity to remote areas, but it will be interesting to see if AT&T, a wireless carrier that specializes in such things, can do the job any better.

Image credit: Fotomek via pixabay