The challenges of taking drones over the horizon

Drones are more than a tool, they’re a whole technology. They can be playthings, a hobbyist’s dream, and most importantly, they can save lives. So how do we expand their ability, beyond a controller and manpower? Working to ensure drones stay functional and accurate Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) using mobile networks means more autonomy and drones going further than they ever have before.

Together with Vodafone, we have been testing Beyond Visual Line of Sight drone operations at a live test site in Aldenhoven, Germany. Here are the three critical challenges which we believe will be key to realizing the first unmanned drone commercial use cases:

1. Safety first

When it comes to drone operation, navigating safely is crucial. Unmanned Traffic Management still needs some work, but using anonymized data, we’ve been able to map out population dense areas and avoid them. Enhanced data analytics are key to ensuring a predictable performance and a safer journey. See what this looks like on our demo with Vodafone in Eindhoven, Germany, below. 

2. Bypassing protocol

Controlling a drone Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) isn’t easy. Most drones use proprietary protocol, which are set and don’t allow for flexible mobile control. However, working together, Vodafone and Ericsson have partnered to use a mobile network to provide connectivity to the drone, but that’s not all. The mobile network serves up authentication services and information like coverage maps and SIM density maps, which can be used by the end user to fly the drone BVLOS through the Network Exposure as a Platform (NaaP). 

3. Security

 This is just the first phase of NaaP strategy. Looking to the future, it opens a whole new paradigm of network exposure. Security remains key, maintained through the service capability exposure function (SCEF), or the network exposure function (NEF) in 5G, and application programming interface (API) gateway. SCEF and API gateway form the heart of the solution for the exposure of network information.

SCEF is the key entity within the 3GPP architecture for service capability exposure, that provides a means to securely expose the services and capabilities provided by 3GPP network interfaces through APIs to Application Servers. The underlying 3GPP network interfaces and protocols can be protected and abstracted by being controlled or mapped to appropriate network interfaces and protocols for Massive IoT. The full 3GPP network ensures the connectivity of the drone to any end user if the drone has the capability to interact with the mobile network. 

A journey to endless opportunity 

With less human operation, drones can reduce time and costs as well as enhance data analytics, which will enable companies to better comprehend and predict operating performance. 

New use cases are emerging, like geo-fencing, network-based​ geo-location estimates, weather inputs – so the drone can literally avoid adverse weather conditions, inventory and fleet management. The accuracy and reach that drones are capable of will make sometimes risky activities safer, such as site inspections.  

One case that will truly transform society will be medication delivery, based on demand and need, as opposed to capability. No longer relying on reach, vital medicine can be delivered via mobile networks and drones. In uncertain times, use cases like this have never been so important. Taking drones beyond the line of sight, entrusting them with intelligent ability to ensure a reliable and secure delivery, is truly amazing.

Learn more about network exposure and the need for connected drones