Drones take off in solving tech issues

DRONES have been part of Richard Ord’s life for as long as he can remember, so it is only fitting he is about to pilot the devices through an initiative by Telstra.

In a Tasmanian first, a Telstra team has been trained to pilot drones and use them to assess the suitability of infrastructure sites, improve repair times in the event of extreme weather or natural disasters and to better cater for rural Tasmania. The 3D robotics solo drones can fly up to 120m and are fitted with sophisticated cameras.

The company’s Tasmania general manager, Michael Patterson, said expansion of the piloting program in the state followed trials in Queensland and NSW.

“Previously we have had to hire cherry pickers or cranes to get employees high enough to inspect equipment or check line-of-sight readings when assessing sites for new mobile phone base stations,” Mr Patterson said.

“Drones now mean this work can be done more safely and easily, and, in the event new parts and equipment need to be ordered, this can be done immediately from the ground.”

Telstra technician and drone pilot Mr Ord said: “This is a quicker way to repair infrastructure.

“You can’t do repairs with them but you can get videos ... to assess whether something is damaged.

“In a remote site . . . we’d get above the trees and see what’s cracking. They [cherry pickers] are four hours minimum for $2000 but these [drones] are basically nothing, they pay for themselves.”

Mr Patterson said one of the first jobs for pilots would be to assess sites as part of the $11 million redevelopment of telecommunications infrastructure on Flinders Island.

Telstra engineers are on the island assessing sites for development and barges have started ferrying equipment and vehicles to the island.