Why Telecom Companies Are Adopting LiDAR Technology?
- Anvita Shrivastava
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
The telecommunications sector is changing faster than ever before. With 5G availability and increasing growth in speed-based connectivity, telecoms are looking at innovative technology to better plan their infrastructure, save money and enhance the customer service experience. One such technology that is gaining traction is LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging).
In this blog, we’ll look at the reason telecoms are beginning to adopt LiDAR technology and how it is changing network deployment and management.
What is LiDAR Technology?
LiDAR is a remote sensing technique that uses laser light to measure the distance between objects and the sensor with precision. By using lasers to emit pulses and measuring the reflected pulses of energy, LiDAR can provide data to generate extremely accurate 3D maps of landscapes, buildings, and vegetation.
Some of the most interesting features about LiDAR include:
Highly accurate 3D maps
Real-time data
Accuracy in measuring distances and dimensions
Uses technology that can work in difficult environments
Uses of LiDAR in the Telecommunications Sector
Telecommunications firms are increasingly employing LiDAR technology in a variety of use cases:
Network Design and Site Surveys
Traditional site surveys for cell towers and fibre development take time and money. LiDAR allows engineers to create accurate three-dimensional scale maps of potential sites, which include determining building heights, terrain slope, obstacles, and more. This assists in the decision-making process when it comes to selecting sites, speeds up the process, minimises manual effort, and optimises network coverage.
Fibre Optic Network Design
Planning fibre optic networks requires a thorough understanding of urban build-outs due to the vast amount of overhead infrastructure (utilities). Utilising LiDAR data, telecommunication engineers can assess optimal routes for fibre installations, avoid potential utility clashes, and inadvertently minimizing disruptions to established overhead infrastructure.
5G Deployment
In deploying 5G networks, small cells will need to be installed in dense urban areas. LiDAR gives telecommunication companies the ability to study line-of-sight conditions, to answer the question 'where is the best location for small cells?' both for maximising signal quality and for minimising interference.
Infrastructure Maintenance
It is essential to maintain towers, antennas, and other telecommunications possessions to ensure service remains uninterrupted. LiDAR enables remote inspections to identify any structural defects or vegetation that is impeding the line of sight, without needing the technician to actually climb the tower.
Disaster Management and Risk Assessment
Using LiDAR data, telecommunications providers are able to assess the infrastructure risks of natural disasters, which include flooding, landslides and storms. By better understanding the terrain and factors of the natural environment, telecommunications companies can plan how to protect critical network infrastructure and minimise the recovery time after a natural disaster.
Advantages of LiDAR for Telecommunications
There are many tangible advantages that organisations have when they adopt LiDAR technology:
Accuracy and Precision: Provides accuracy and precision within centimetres for mapping and measurements.
Cost Efficiency: Provides the capability to devote less time to the labour cost of manual surveys.
Rapid Deployment: Provides the ability to plan and place 5G small cell networks more quickly.
Safety: Provides remote inspections for the worker in the field, eliminating risk exposure.
Data-Driven Decisions: Provides up-to-date high resolution spatial data for strategic planning and optimisation.
Challenges and Considerations
Although LiDAR has tremendous value, the telecoms industry will need to consider some challenges:
Cost and Investment: LiDAR equipment and software can have a large overall investment.
Data Processing: High volumes of data require substantial processing and analysis tools.
Integration with Current Processes: The ability to integrate LiDAR data with GIS, CAD and/or network planning tools, at a minimum, is necessary to make LiDAR part of current processes.
Even considering challenges, long-term efficiencies, accuracy, and return on investment present a positive decision for telecoms to utilise LiDAR technology.
Future of LiDAR in Telecom
As 5G, IoT and smart city exists, these projects will bring the use of LiDAR technology for telecom infrastructure into focus. The future looks like:
Increased adoption of automated network planning, deployment, etc.
Ability, along with AI and machine learning, to do predictive maintenance on sources.
Improvements in digital twin improved models for cities and telecom systems.
LiDAR is now also considered a competitive tool. Not a luxury tool. Organisations can use this as part of a strategic asset to be competitive in a rapidly accelerating digital world.
Due to its ability to provide accurate mapping, reduce deployment time, lower costs, and ensure operational efficiency, telecom companies are quickly adopting LiDAR technology. LiDAR is changing the way telecom networks are designed, built, and maintained--from the 5G rollout to designing fibre optic networks and ongoing network maintenance.
Utilising LiDAR helps telecom operators future-proof their networks while also providing better connectivity and service quality to customers.
For more information or any questions regarding LiDAR Technology, please don't hesitate to contact us at:
Email: info@geowgs84.com
USA (HQ): (720) 702–4849
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