OCTOBER 2019CIOAPPLICATIONSEUROPE.COM8IN MYOPINIONill the drones in our skies become as commonplace as the smartphones in our pockets? Given the numbers of drones sold, it is a question that demands answers from all stakeholders. Drones already have multiple applications in industry,construction, agriculture, or forestrymanagement, but especially in the police and fire and rescue services. Nevertheless, drones can bring in real benefits and become commonplace only when they can operate beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the operator.Until now, it was uncertain as to how this form of operation could be achieved productively and above all safely. How can this new technology be fully exploited while maintaining the high safety level that exists at the core of manned aviation? The German air navigation service provider, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS), and the German telco, Deutsche Telekom, have provided one crucial answer; deploying a technology already familiar to billions across the globe.Invisible to Conventional RadarDrones have developed into a true mass market in the span of a few years. In Germany, as in other European countries, there are no reliable figures on how many unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are currently moving in the airspace. DFS estimates that there are about 500,000 drones used in Germany alone. Drones pose various risks--especially for manned aviation. Unlike most commercial aircrafts, drones do not actively transmit their location and are too small to be picked up by radar. This is why DFS and Deutsche Telekom joined forces in a research project named Connected Drones. Our aim was to use the mobile network for locating drones so that they can be integrated into the airspace, safely and fairly. A Flying SmartphoneIn essence, the drone becomes a flying smart phone. Using a special modem and a SIM card, the drone connects to Deutsche Telekom's mobile network and transmits its exact position. These data are sent to DFS and displayed in the UAS Traffic Management system (UTM). As the majority of today's mobile networks are optimized for ground usage, we started testing our mobile network intensively to prove that it worked for the needs of UAS. Surprisingly, coverage and link quality were far better than expected, although we experienced some challenges in handover and interference. In short, to handle the load of millions of connected drones, creating a dedicated network layer for UAS Flying Smartphones--Making the Drones in our Skies Productive and SafeWRALPH SCHEPP, COO, DRONIQ GMBHRalph Schepp
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