AT&T is using Flying COWs to beam 5G coverage to more people

Unfortunately, we aren't talking about the farm animal

Wide-open rural fields are the trademark of the United States. That sort of land is prime territory for farming, but it's not so good for finding a reliable 5G signal. For its part, AT&T is bringing faster data speeds to rural America the only way it knows how: through Flying COWs deployed where they're most needed.

If you didn't guess from the capitalization used, Flying COWs aren't taken straight out of Twister. It's a drone — COW stands for "Cell On Wings" — used to deploy strong cell coverage in areas where it's unavailable. AT&T has been using these COWs for years, launching them in emergency situations to bring 4G LTE data to customers who might need to place phone calls or reach out to loved ones.

This week marked the first time the carrier has activated a 5G-powered Flying COW, this time opting to do so in a non-emergency area. Instead, AT&T chose a field in Missouri populated primarily by cows and other barnyard animals. According to the company, it was a space that, until this week, was only covered by a weak 4G signal. This new Flying COW activated 5G data as soon as it hit the skies, no cell towers required, blanketing about 10 square miles in coverage.

Some cute marketing, for sure, but it's eye-catching nonetheless. As we move into summer — a season filled with both big festivals and the ever-growing risk of natural disasters — having a portable drone hotspot capable of boosting and supplying a stable, consistent data connection could make the next few months a lot safer. Meanwhile, it's unclear what those non-flying cows plan to do with their new drone, though I assume they're binging through the latest season of Stranger Things as we speak.