Page 50 - World Airnews Magazine May 2020 Edition

NEWS DIGITAL

5G AND DRONES: IMPROVING

CONNECTIVITY

Drone delivery startup Manna has a partnership with food ordering company Flipdish.
This image is only a mockup, though, not Manna's actual drone
and integrates them into controlled (BVLOS)
airspace. Current regulations are usually restricted
Current mobile networks are capable For these reasons, aviation authorities to low-altitude operations (below 120m or
of serving drones in the low-altitude around the globe have initiated programs 400ft) and within the visual line of sight of
airspace which seems to be a perfect to define the rules of drone operation, a human pilot who is in permanent control
fit since drones fly rather low and cell in an effort to address the safety issues of the drone.
coverage above buildings, trees, etc. is very regarding the commercial use of drones. Nevertheless, many drone applications
good. Specific performance enhancements This includes mandating drone traffic are only viable when the drone is either
can optimize 4G or 5G connectivity toward management systems similar to the air be flown beyond the visual line of sight or
traffic control systems of manned aviation.
more effective and efficient connectivity For example, Unmanned Aircraft Systems when it flies autonomously, which usually
means that the platform is out of sight and
for drones while maintaining the perfor- Traffic Management (UTM) is the system without direct control of the pilot.
mance of mobile devices on the ground. In under definition by the FAA, while a Today, drone radio remote control
principle, there are three major needs for similar concept called U-Space is under systems are based on specific radio
connecting drones by means of 5G cellular development as a joint project of the connections or Wi-Fi with a limited range
data: UTM, BVLOS flights and sensor data European Union. Because of their (future) of usually under 3-5km or are programmed
transmission. coverage, their globally standardized and fly off certain waypoints, cellular
technology, their highly developed capacity networks can provide connections over un-
and capabilities, and their established limited distances provided that the drone
MANAGING DRONE TRAFFIC (UTM) procedures for users, cellular networks has a cellular network coverage and can
are candidates for the establishment of a
One of the biggest challenges in the near controlled and reliable system for drone be controlled from basically anywhere in
the world. A standardized cellular network
future in the drone ecosystem is both the operation. with widespread coverage could provide
regulation of the drone traffic itself and its Mobile networks are well suited to comprehensive, high-quality and secure
integration with the manned aviation. A support low-altitude drone communication connectivity that enables cost-effective
large number of drones are already today and to be integrated with drone traffic drone operation beyond the line of sight.
travelling through the airspace and this management systems to enhance the
number is forecasted to grow. In order to safety and security of drone operations.
further exploit the potential of drones and
enable promising drone applications, it TRANSMISSION OF ACQUIRED DATA
is important to find a fair and structured (SENSOR DATA TRANSMISSION)
solution that regulates the traffic of drones FLYING BEYOND LINE OF SIGHT For some drone-based applications it is

World Airnews | May Extra 2020
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