Solusi Tunas Pratama (STP), a tower company in Indonesia, will trial a drone-based inspection system developed by NTT Docomo to check on base stations in real time using a web browser.

The Docomo Sky system uses a ground control station app, which enables drone operators to easily input flight data, the operator said in a statement.

It also is providing its cloud-based platform for operational support and data analysis. The drones take photos of base stations and towers and transmit the collected images to a command centre.

The companies said they aim to expand the scope of the tests before STP adopts the system, which Docomo developed to inspect its mobile network in Japan. They are targeting full-scale commercial use in Indonesia in the first half of this year.

Docomo said the remote service will enable inspection to be conducted more quickly and safely. In addition, the system is expected to help accelerate the resoration of telecoms networks in Indonesia after natural disasters.

Mobile operators around the world now use drones to remotely monitor their infrastructure. Telstra, the largest operator in Australia, was one of the first: in August 2016 it announced plans to use drones to inspect and restore services in potential disaster-hit communities in northern Queensland.