AT&T, Intel team up to connect drones to LTE

AT&T and Intel announced a partnership on Monday to test how drones work on LTE networks used by mobile devices.

The companies are showing off Intel's Yuneec Typhoon H drone running the chipmaker's RealSense camera technology at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona this week.

AT&T's Internet of Things team and Foundry innovation center will be working with Intel on the tech that the duo says can work to solve the biggest issues in the drone space.

Specifically, the companies want to see how altitude affects video streaming and how LTE can transmit flight information and GPS data. Currently, most consumer drones on the market use Wi-Fi for transmitting data.

"This engagement pushes the boundaries in the UAV industry and will pave the way to a connected world in the Internet of Things," Anil Nanduri, vice president of Intel's New Technology Group at Intel, said in a statement.

"Intel believes UAVs have great potential, from inspections, precision agriculture to deliveries of consumer goods and providing emergency disaster relief. We want to grow this market through our collaborations and by integrating new technologies and compute to UAVs." Nanduri continued.

AT&T has showed a continue interest in the Internet of Things, as it looks for revenue past the stagnant smartphone market.

"[2015] was pivotal for IoT. We saw, and are continuing to see, tremendous global interest and adoption from virtually every industry," Ralph de la Vega, CEO, AT&T Mobile and Business Solutions, said in December. "Our IoT solutions help you monitor cargo, homes, vehicles and containers around the globe. You can connect light posts and water systems, wheelchairs, trash cans and soil. Connectivity is changing how companies operate and how people interact. Just wait until next year."