Major Partnership in Drone Defence Industry

Major Partnership in Drone Defence Industry

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The European technological telco enterprise, Deutsche Telekom AG, is entering the drone defense market together with Dedrone, specializing in anti-drone technology. In the near future, the Security business unit of Deutsche Telekom will offer protection against unauthorized drones for data centers, stadiums, critical infrastructure facilities, and public authorities utilizing solutions developed by Dedrone. According to Dedrone’s website, Deutsche Telekom will provide all services – sales, project planning, installation and management.

In recent years drone popularity has risen rapidly as they become ever cheaper and more powerful. Easy availability and perpetual widening of capability arrays increase the potential for dangerous drone misuse. Such imminent threat demands comprehensive countermeasures. “Over the last few months, Deutsche Telekom has extensively evaluated and thoroughly tested equipment from the most important manufacturers of drone detection and defense systems. We are bundling the best of the technologies under the control of lead partner Dedrone for our Magenta Drone Protection Shield,” explains Dirk Backofen, soon-to-be head of Telekom Security.

The DroneTracker system, developed by Dedrone in Kassel, is going to be a critical tool for Deutsche Telekom’s new services. It detects drones automatically using various sensors, such as video cameras, radio frequency scanners, and microphones, and repels them if necessary. At its core is smart software that is able to distinguish drones from birds, helicopters, and other flying objects safely, and even to recognize specific drone models.

As soon as DroneTracker detects a drone, it alerts security forces. They can immediately take protective measures and bring people to safety, seize drones or dropped objects, or block views of sensitive information.

“Cooperation with Deutsche Telekom is an important step for us,” says Dedrone COO Dr. Ingo Seebach. “The fact that we’ve been selected from a large number of well-known manufacturers shows not only that we are leading the way with our technology, but also that we have what it takes to earn a business relationship with such a large, highly respected company. Together with Telekom, we are delivering the best product on the market”.

Project prices start at 30,000 Euro. In the coming weeks, Deutsche Telekom will install Dedrone technology at two of its own properties to secure them against drone intrusions.