Deutsche Telekom uses drone for mobile coverage for the first time
The drone technology is intended to supply smartphones in dead spots, as it could be years before Starlink satellites take over this task in Europe.
Deutsche Telekom and its partner and aviation specialist Primoco UAV SE used a drone in public operations for the first time at the beginning of February to plug a radio gap. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flew at an altitude of 2.3 kilometers during the legendary cross-country skiing race "Jizerská 50" in the Czech Jizera Mountains and covered a six-kilometer area for four hours. According to Telekom, this was the first commercial application in Europe. The technology installed on board the drone was connected to the network of Telekom subsidiary T-Mobile Czech Republic. A standard smartphone with a SIM from the T-Mobile network operator was sufficient for use.
The approach is likely to surprise many people who have been following the introduction of mobile coverage for smartphones via Starlink satellites in recent weeks. Drones are great for helping out in specific areas, but satellites such as the Starlink or Globalstar satellites cover the entire globe. Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Mobile USA launched a public beta test a few weeks ago. However, the technology cannot be used smoothly everywhere in the world for regulatory reasons; cross-border traffic in particular is currently experiencing problems. We have explained the context and the prospects for application in Germany and Europe in detail, see"Smartphone coverage from the air: Deutsche Telekom is not waiting for Starlink".
"In rough terrain or crisis situations, the flying antenna drone delivers resilient connectivity where it is needed, and does so very effectively. This approach complements Deutsche Telekom's broad toolbox for reliably providing mobile communications in many scenarios," said Claudia Nemat, Board Member for Technology and Innovation.
Put to the test in a nature reserve
Telekom chose the cross-country ski race in the Czech Republic because the course is located in a protected landscape area that is protected from development. The drone delivered up to 95 megabits per second in the downlink direction and up to 34 Mbit/s in the uplink direction.
Deutsche Telekom already uses specially equipped containers for "cells on wheels" to set up mobile radio cells where there are no base stations or the existing stations do not provide sufficient capacity for a major event (cell tower-to-go). According to the network operator, the new drone technology, which was developed by a Telekom team based in the Czech Republic, is suitable for large sporting or cultural events in areas with special legal requirements or for terrain that is difficult to access. These are typically mountainous and densely wooded areas or protected areas. The flying antenna can also temporarily replace destroyed mobile communications infrastructure in crisis situations such as floods, earthquakes or fires.
The flying antenna
The flying antenna is a Primoco One 150, which is 3.65 meters long, 1.25 meters high, has a wingspan of 4.85 meters and is developed and manufactured in the Czech Republic. Telekom's radio technology can be connected to the core network on the ground as well as via satellite. It delivers maximum download speeds of 200 Mbit/s and upload speeds of 75 Mbit/s and supplies up to 1,200 users simultaneously. Deutsche Telekom plans to reveal more about the flying mobile antennas at the Mobile World Congress, which will take place in Barcelona from March 3 to 6, 2025.
(dz)
