By EMS1 Staff
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The first-ever Flying COW was deployed in Puerto Rico to reconnect first responders and residents in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
ATT.com reported that the Flying Cell on Wheels is an experimental technology that provides data, voice and text service to customers by putting an LTE cell site on a drone and flying it 200 feet in the air to extend coverage farther than a normal temporary cell site.
AT&T said FirstNet subscribers can benefit from the Flying COW, and exploring the capabilities of the technology will give some insight as to how first responders can use the drone in other emergency situations.
AT&T reported that crews are working around the clock to restore the network that is already 70 percent reconnected in Puerto Rico, and 95 percent connected in the U.S. Virgin Islands.