For up to 4000 users

Mobile phone drone serves as a flying cell phone mast

The four-meter-long flying device was presented at the Mobile World Congress trade fair in Barcelona.(Bild: Dominik Erlinger)

Magenta parent company Deutsche Telekom has unveiled a flying mobile phone antenna that can provide a cell phone network from the air in the event of flood disasters or forest fires. 

Chief Technology Officer Claudia Nemat presented the flying device, which is almost four meters long and a good one meter high, at the MWC mobile communications trade fair in Barcelona. The wingspan is just under five meters.

The antenna drone enables up to 4,000 people to download at a speed of 100 megabits per second. "It can stay in the air for up to 15 hours and cover an area of 20 square kilometers with robust connectivity," said Nemat.

Test at ski races in the Czech Republic
Deutsche Telekom recently tested the mobile drone at a ski race in the Czech Republic, where around 24,000 people were in a remote area. The drone reportedly flew at an altitude of 2,300 meters. It circled over the area for hours at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour. The drone itself was connected to the Telekom network via satellite. However, it is also possible that the connection was made via a vehicle on the ground.

According to the company, the test was positive and the connections on the ground were good. The drone comes from the Czech manufacturer Primoco, Deutsche Telekom installed the antenna. It remains to be seen whether the German company will use the flying drone regularly in the future or whether it will remain in the test phase.