PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and its subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) are considering using drones to check cellular sites in Metro Manila. The companies conducted proof of concept tests at several Smart towers in Quezon City, Valenzuela, and Caloocan, and they reported that the tests went well. The tests involved the use of drones by vHive and Amdocs to collect information about cell sites and create “digital twins” of network towers.
PLDT and Smart said that the goal of using autonomous drones was to eliminate the time-consuming, dangerous, and manual task of climbing each tower to collect and record data.
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With fewer site visits, digital inspections are also expected to reduce the group’s fuel use and carbon footprint.
The tests took about 30 minutes to get data from each tower.
The digital twin and automated reports were ready in two to three days, much faster than the manual process used now.
Eric Santiago, first vice president and network head at PLDT and Smart, said, “As we try to make the most of the network we’ve set up across the country and give customers a better experience, we need to give our people and processes the right technology to keep getting better.”
“Digital inspection is a good example of how we are bringing all parts of our network into the future by using new ways of working and automating our operations,” he said.