Now this is a great idea!

Verizon has been testing a drone that would carry a “femtocell”, basically a small flying cell site/tower that would provide cell service during a disaster crises.

According to an article in the USA Today the drone has a wing span of 17 feet and weighs about 200 pounds.  The drone is gas powered and can stay aloft for 16 hours before it needs refueling.

A principal engineer for Verizon’s network, Christopher Desmond is quoted in the article stating:

Bridges may be out, roads out, things washed away. But flying this cell site might be the very fastest way to deliver very badly needed service to first responders on the ground

Verizon has been testing this technology since 2016.

The U.S. Department of the Interior said Tuesday it is buying 50 small drones to help during natural disasters, including mapping wildfires.

Many people are rightly concerned that technology is too intrusive in our lives and I would agree with them.  This type of technology though would greatly help people truly in need and could actually be a life saver.

I give this type of technology a big thumbs up.

Now they would have to figure out how they can somehow limit this service too people who are truly in need during a disaster, how I do not know.

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