Skip to main content

Poor mobile service? Just look to the sky for drones and blimps that will help

EE NETWORK: Pioneering 'Air Mast' Technology with Drones and Balloons
If spotty reception is cramping your style, you may want to look to the skies. That is, if you live in the United Kingdom. On Tuesday, British mobile carrier EE debuted a new plan to use its own patent-pending balloon- and drone-based mobile coverage solutions in order to provide service for its most rural customers.

EE, which already boasts the largest 4G coverage in the U.K., demonstrated how it would use “mini mobile sites attached to a helium balloon” in a setup it calls a Helikite to provide 4G mobile coverage to areas in need. Mini sites can also be attached to drones in order to offer more targeted coverage, which may prove useful in search and rescue operations.

“We are going to extraordinary lengths to connect communities across the U.K. Innovation is essential for us to go further than we’ve ever gone, and deliver a network that’s more reliable than ever before,” said EE CEO Marc Allera in a release.

“Rural parts of the U.K. provide more challenges to mobile coverage than anywhere else, so we have to work harder there — developing these technologies will ultimately help our customers, even in the most hard-to-reach areas.”

These drone- and balloon-based solutions could prove key during disasters like major flooding, when connectivity and communication is of the utmost importance. EE says that its technology will allow phone users to make calls and access the internet from extremely remote areas, and in order to keep this emergency services network up and running, EE is also planning on rolling out rapid-response vehicles to provide further assistance during outages. These vehicles, however, won’t be airborne — rather, they’ll be Mitsubishi trucks featuring 11-foot mobile masts that can drive around to ensure that emergency services never lose signal.

“Looking ahead, I see innovations like this revolutionizing the way people connect. We’re developing the concept of ‘coverage on demand,'” Allera added. “We need to innovate, and we need to think differently, always using customers’ needs to drive the way we create new technologies.”

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
This Samsung tablet can be yours for as little as $75 today
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 on

There are a lot of great Android tablets to pick from, and Samsung is probably one of the best companies besides Apple when it comes to tablets, so naturally, Samsung tablets tend to be both powerful and popular. That said, the higher-end Galaxy tablets from Samsung can get expensive, and if you need something simple, then the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is a perfectly fine option. There's even a great deal on it that brings it down to just $75 from $160 with a trade-in, or, if you'd rather not do the trade-in process, you can still get it for $105, which is a respectable $55 discount.

Why you should buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite
The Galaxy Tab A7 lite has an 8.7-inch screen that runs a 1340 x 800 resolution, which is perfectly fine for those who want to use the tablet to stream shows and films. On the other hand, it only runs at 60Hz, so it's not going to be as smooth as the faster 120Hz screens you might see on flagship phones. It's also slim and sturdy, so you'll feel comfortable taking it around with you without having to worry about it being damaged too easily, although we'd still not be too rough with it. That said, you could probably let a kid play with it to keep them entertained while you do something, so it's a versatile option in terms of who can use it.

Read more
Using this Motorola folding phone was an emotional roller coaster
The back of the Viva Magenta Razr Plus.

In psychology, there is something called "affective ambivalence," where two opposite emotions are experienced almost at the same time. It perfectly sums up the rollercoaster of feelings I’ve had for the Motorola Razr Plus since returning to it.

One moment I absolutely love it, but then it deeply frustrates me due to something silly or something Motorola should have fixed by now. But then I check how much it costs, and I go right back to being astonished by it.

Read more
Google Pixel 8 is still at its Black Friday price of $549
The Google Pixel 8 on a table showing the screen.

If you're looking for a great Android phone, then going for the Google Pixel is an excellent idea since Google is the one who made Android in the first place. And, if you want the latest in the Pixel lineup, then you're going to want to grab the Google Pixel 8, which isn't as powerful as the Pro but is also a better upgrade to the Pixel 7. The Pixel 8 also isn't having some of the issues as the Pixel 8 Pro is right now, so it's an overall better pick, especially with this discount from Best Buy that will bring it down to $549 from $699, although there's also some trade-in value you can get as well.

Why you should buy the Google Pixel 8
The Google Pixel 8 is an excellent all-around phone, both if you take it on its own and if you consider it as an upgrade to the Google Pixel 7. It has a gorgeous 6.2-inch display that runs a 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution, but more importantly, it's an OLED panel, so it has excellent image reproduction. It also has a 2,000-nit peak brightness and can run with a variable refresh rate between 60Hz and 120Hz, which will not only give you a better day-to-day experience but is also great for gaming.

Read more