Telecom Powerhouse to Help Manage UAV Traffic

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The global market for UAVs is growing rapidly as drones become established in diverse vertical markets such as agriculture, oil and gas, and logistics. A key concern for national Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA) and Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) is how this disruptive technology can be permitted to flourish within a managed environment.

A new collaboration will create a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for the Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) market. Telecommunication giant Huawei Technologies and Belgium-based Unifly N.V have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in the field of unmanned traffic management systems. The MoU covers both research and development, and a joint market approach.

Registration, insurance, air-worthiness and certification are top of mind for national agencies – as is allaying public concerns regarding safety and privacy. 4.5G and 5G technology play a key role in the registration and identification of drones and drone users as well as the tracking of drones in the airspace.

Huawei has developed a technology to identify and locate drone users based on the operator’s SIM card. This technology combined with Unifly’s Unmanned Traffic Management platform enables ANSPs to integrate drones into the airspace safely and securely.

Leveraging globally standardized cellular technology to connect official agencies and drone operators, Unifly’s UTM platform makes it possible to not only follow drones in real-time but also to determine who is flying, where they are flying and whether they are permitted to be in that airspace.

Aligned with initiatives such as U-space, which supports the EU’s aviation strategy and regulatory framework to enable dense drone air traffic, Unifly’s platform also includes key digital technologies for flight planning, airspace management, live tracking and dynamic situational awareness.