AT&T sees cost savings with drone inspections of cell towers

AT&T expects to save money by using drones instead of workers to inspect its 65,000 cellular transmission towers nationwide.

Part of the savings will occur as the cost of deploying drones drops because of new Federal Aviation Administration regulations that expand the use of drones for commercial uses.

The service provider wants to hire contractors using drones in all 50 states to inspect the towers. These towers, often more than 100 feet high and with components sometimes out of the reach of workers who climb to the top, require constant refinements and attention, an AT&T official said Tuesday.