Technique of Radio Frequency Scanning in Response to Adverse Environment and Challenging Conditions in Malaysia

Adverse conditions and work at height affect the safety and efficiency of radio frequency (RF) scanning at telecommunication towers. This study compared the Human-Based (BM) and Drone-Based (BD) methods based on operation time, number of RF readings, and Received Signal Level (RSL). Comparisons were conducted at 10 telecommunication tower sites across the 13 GHz and 18 GHz bands using standardised instruments and parameters. Operation time and the number of RF readings were analysed descriptively, while the effects of scanning method and frequency band on RSL were evaluated using two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Fisher’s Least Significant Difference (FLSD) test at α = 0.05. The BD method recorded an operation time of 16.4 minutes, compared with 132.1 minutes for BM, corresponding to an 87.6% reduction and a ratio of 1:8.1. BD recorded 79 RF readings overall, compared with 61 readings for BM. ANOVA showed that the scanning method significantly affected RSL (P = 0.042), whereas the frequency band had no significant effect (P = 0.337). FLSD showed an RSL of −97.139 dBm for BD and −100.996 dBm for BM, a difference of 3.857 dB. These findings demonstrate that BD accelerates RF scanning, reduces dependence on tower climbing, and improves access to observation points. The findings support SDGs 8, 9, 11, and 13 through reduced exposure to work at height, infrastructure-monitoring innovation, communication-network resilience, and the potential for more resource-efficient operations in Malaysia.