The telecommunications industry is always under pressure to expand coverage, support the rollout of 5G, and maintain vast numbers of towering assets. Mobile phone tower manual inspections are expensive, time-consuming, and put workers at needless risk. Traditional data collection techniques, however, struggle to keep up with the speed and scope of modern network expansion.
AUAV works with vHive, a global leader in autonomous drone software and digital twin technology for telecommunications infrastructure. Together, AUAV and vHive provide reliable data that facilitates safer operations, quicker decision-making, and scalable asset management through consistent, high-accuracy drone inspection of cell towers.
What Is vHive?
vHive is an enterprise-grade software platform for autonomous drones that can collect accurate data and make digital copies of complicated assets like mobile phone towers and rooftops. The platform allows tower owners and network operators to digitalise big portfolios using off-the-shelf drones and experienced service providers like AUAV.
Key capabilities of the vHive platform include:
- Autonomous drone flights with minimal manual piloting.
- 3D modelling and photogrammetry powered by AI.
- Digital twin creation for towers and rooftop infrastructure.
- Automated analytics for condition assessments and equipment verification.
- Cloud-based administration for large telecom portfolios.
These features make vHive a practical solution for operators managing thousands of assets across multiple regions, including projects involving vHive Australia and international deployments.
Why Are Telecom Operators Moving to Drone Automation?
1. Improved Safety
The height of telecom towers typically ranges from 30 to over 100 metres. Conventional inspections necessitate rigging, climbing, and extended elevation work. This puts workers at risk for falls, radiofrequency exposure, bad weather, and fatigue.
Drones perform the inspection work using vHive’s autonomous workflows, so people don’t have to climb towers as often, except when they need to do hands-on work.
2. Lower Costs and Faster Inspections
When you add up the cost of labour, equipment, travel, and repeat visits, manual tower inspections can cost thousands of dollars per site.
With vHive and AUAV:
- Autonomous flights reduce capture time from hours to minutes.
- AUAV field teams typically capture multiple towers per day.
- One technician can collect data that supports off-site engineering review.
- Large portfolios can be digitised far more quickly.
This approach reduces operating costs and shortens project timelines.
3. Accurate Digital Twins for Engineering and Compliance
A core strength of vHive Australia is the creation of detailed, photorealistic digital twins. These models give an exact, measurable picture of towers and installed equipment, which helps:
- Remote engineering assessments.
- Structural condition monitoring.
- Antenna and mount verification.
- Pre- and post-upgrade documentation.
- Change tracking over time.
For engineering, compliance, and asset management teams, digital twins serve as a single point of reference.
4. Automated Analytics and AI-Driven Insights
The vHive platform uses AI and computer vision to automate analysis that was previously required for extensive human review. The system is capable of:
- Identify installed equipment.
- Measure sector alignment and azimuth.
- Detect damage, corrosion, or anomalies.
- Flag unauthorised modifications.
- Produce engineering-ready reports.
This reduces post-processing time and improves consistency across inspections.
Designed to Scale Across National Networks
Inspection systems must function at the same scale as telecom networks. vHive allows operators to add drone service providers like AUAV while keeping the quality of the data the same.
This allows organisations to:
- Digitalise thousands of towers per month.
- Standardise inspection outputs across regions.
- Establish repeatable inspection cycles.
- Centralise access through cloud-based workflows.
Technical Capabilities for Complex Telecom Environments
Strong radio frequency (RF) emissions from telecommunications sites can impede drone navigation, including real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning. The autonomous flight algorithms in vHive are designed to maintain.
- Stable flight behaviour.
- Accurate positioning.
- Consistent flight paths.
This guarantees precise and steady autonomous flight in close proximity to densely populated 4G and 5G sites. After being collected, data is processed using cloud workflows to generate:
- High-resolution digital twins.
- Equipment inventories.
- Measurement-ready 3D models.
- Condition assessments.
Stakeholders across engineering, compliance, and operations can access the data without delay.
Common Use Cases in Telecommunications
1. Pre-Upgrade Surveys
Accurate measurements and equipment inventories before 5G, small cell, or microwave upgrades.
2. Post-Construction Verification
Confirmation that installations match design specifications.
3. Structural Condition Monitoring
Early identification of corrosion, cracking, or wear.
4. Tenant and Asset Management
Verification of tenant equipment and reduction of disputes for tower owners.
Business Outcomes for Telecom Operators
Organisations using vHive typically report:
- Significant reductions in inspection costs.
- Faster data capture across large portfolios.
- Fewer repeat site visits.
- Improved compliance reporting.
- Reduced safety exposure.
- More reliable and consistent data.
These outcomes support long-term network planning and asset lifecycle management.
AUAV’s Role in vHive Deployments
AUAV provides the field delivery layer that supports vHive’s analytics and digital twin platform. This includes:
- Experienced drone inspection teams
- Consistent capture workflows suited to telecom assets
- Large-scale deployment capability across regions
- Delivery of data aligned with vHive’s processing requirements
Currently, AUAV is assisting vHive projects in the US and other markets by seizing telecom assets on behalf of network owners.
Conclusion
vHive provides telecom operators with a practical way to transition from manual inspections to scalable, data-driven asset management. The platform facilitates safer operations, quicker engineering decisions, and reduced operating costs through autonomous drone inspections, AI-based analytics, and precise digital twins.
vHive provides a reliable inspection workflow for modern telecommunications networks when paired with AUAV’s field knowledge and large-scale deployment capability.
For more information about vHive, visit https://www.vhive.ai/. To discuss drone inspection services using vHive, connect with us at contact@auav.com.au
FAQs
What types of towers can be inspected using vHive?
Mobile phone towers, rooftop sites, and other telecom infrastructure.
Is drone inspection suitable for live 4G and 5G sites?
Yes. vHive’s flight algorithms are designed to operate near active RF environments.
How accurate are vHive digital twins?
They provide measurement-grade models suitable for engineering and compliance tasks.
What role does AUAV play?
AUAV provides reliable results at scale by collecting the drone data required by vHive’s platform.
