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The drone, created through a partnership between NSW Telco Authority and Vocus-owned Challenge Networks, will help to provide vital connectivity to those affected by natural disasters 

Supported by high speed, low-latency satellite connectivity from the Vocus Satellite–Starlink solution, the drone can act as a temporary mobile tower providing mobile connectivity to a 28km² area.  

This will serve to provide vital mobile connectivity in situations where pre-existing infrastructure may be damaged, such as following natural disasters like earthquakes and floods. 

The drone is tethered with a ground-based power supply, meaning it will be able to fly for an unlimited amount of time, eliminating worries around limited battery life during emergency operations. It will only need to briefly land for maintenance checks around every 12 hours. 

The drone has been designed to be adaptable for various emergency situations, carrying different payloads for different scenarios. It can carry up to 15kg of equipment, which could include 4G and 5G network equipment, P25-compliant two-way radios, or even floodlights and cameras.  

When equipped with mobile network infrastructure, the drone can be used as a repeater to support preexisting public networks, or to create a private network only used by emergency responders. 

The drone was tested recently at a fire service base in Bimbimbie, rural New South Wales, where disaster response teams trialed the drone’s critical communication capabilities. 

“This is an example of how Vocus is using its strength in satellite technology, and Challenge Networks’ expertise in wireless and systems integration to deliver a brilliantly simple solution for a particularly Australian challenge,” said Ashley Neale, Development Manager Space and Satellite, Vocus. 

In Australia, mobile network coverage currently only reaches 27% of the country’s landmass, hence it is particularly difficult to access casualties and offer support during emergency situations in remote areas. 

How is the growth of the low Earth orbit satellite industry impacting the global telecoms sector? Join the operators in discussion at this year’s Total Telecom Congress live in Amsterdam 

Also in the news: 

Telstra partners Starlink to serve remote customers in Australia
New Zealand’s Spark partners Lynk for satellite-to-mobile connectivity
SKT invests $100m in flying taxi company Joby Aviation 

Unite the Union, which has previously expressed its opposition to Vodafone and Three UK’s proposed merger (here), is attempting to up the ante by pressing some of Vodafone’s largest shareholders (e.g. Blackrock, Vanguard, Norges Bank and local authority pension funds) to take a stand, on conflict of interest grounds, at the next AGM. The deal, […]

The national telecoms and media regulator, Ofcom, has this morning announced that they’ve opened an investigation into the service cancellation practices of UK broadband ISP Virgin Media (VMO2), which follows customer complaints that suggest the “company is making it difficult for them to cancel their services“. Breaking news.. more to follow..

A new YouGov survey of 1,150 adults aged 65+ in England, which was commissioned by older people’s charity Independent Age, has claimed that 48% of respondents on a low income (under £15k a year) have struggled to keep up with their broadband ISP bill in the last 6 months (20% of those found it a […]

The Digital Connectivity Forum (DCF), an industry think-tank, has today announced that the UK’s largest mobile and broadband providers, including BT, Three UK, and Sky Broadband, among many others, have agreed to work together to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the telecoms supply chain. The vast majority of the operators making this commitment already […]

Ookla, which operates the popular Speedtest.net service, has published their latest Q1-Q2 2023 (H1) study into the performance of 5G based mobile broadband networks in the United Kingdom, which once again finds that Three UK continues to deliver the fastest median download speed (265.75 Mbps). Mobile data performance is a difficult thing to pin down […]

Network operator RETN has this week launched a new 550km long low latency network route between London and Paris (including a 149km submarine segment under the English Channel), which leverages the latest CrossChannel subsea cable – the first one to be built in almost 20 years. Just to recap. The new CrossChannel cable, which is […]

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Using a combination of solar power and lithium-ion batteries, the site in Plano, Texas, was powered for almost 24 hours

This week, Swedish telecoms equipment vendor Ericsson has showcased its latest smart connected 5G site, coupling on-site renewable energy with new intelligent energy management technology.  

The site is powered by local solar panels and integrated lithium-ion batteries. When conditions are favourable, the site can be fully operated using only this renewable energy source, theoretically eliminating the need for a connection to the national power grid.  

The solution also emphasises Ericsson’s hybrid energy management capabilities, such as peak shaving, load shifting, and demand response, enabling the site to use battery power when energy rates are high and recharging them when they fall. 

In this way, operators will be able to reduce their reliance on diesel generators, as well as generating significant energy savings.  

“Ericsson’s smart site solutions for hybrid energy sources are designed to help operators control costs and increase profitability – especially in rural or remote areas or private networks, where traffic volumes are lower and power consumption needs to be especially efficient,” said Ed Gubbins, Principal Analyst at Global Data. 

“Using a variety of tools to increase energy efficiency and sustainability – including solar power, lithium-ion batteries, and advanced software features – can be helpful for improving operator profitability,” he added. 

The next step in the project will explore alternative green energy sources like hydrogen-based generators, interoperability with power grid vendors, and Policy-based Battery Saver tech to further reduce energy consumption. 

Find out what’s next on the journey to build sustainable networks at next year’s live Connected America conference 

Also in the news: 

Telenor signs new renewable energy deal with Statkraft
TIM leans on ERG for additional renewable energy
Vodafone installing on-site solar panels in energy efficiency drive 

News

According to the government, funding could cover everything from high altitude platform stations (HAPS) to delivery drone management technology

This week, the UK Space Agency has announced £20 million in funding aimed at supporting the development of aerial connectivity projects.

Companies can submit applications for funding under three categories – drones, HAPS, and High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) unmanned air vehicles.

Projects could include, but are not limited to, “aerial platforms with hybrid capabilities that can seamlessly switch between satellite and terrestrial networks, or traffic management for innovative vehicles such as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft”.

Possible applications include drones delivering medical supplies, the rapid deployment of dedicated emergency services communications, and delivering broadband connectivity to rural customers.

“From using drones to quickly get medicines to hospitals, through to boosting mobile network access in remote areas, the benefits of aerial connectivity cut through many aspects of our lives,” said UK Technology Secretary Chloe Smith. “The Government’s £20 million investment will further strengthen the UK’s fast-growing satellite communications industry, which already contributes more than £10 billion to our economy and supports over 26,000 jobs. It will improve our health and security, too, and support our plan to level up every part of the UK.

The funding comes as part of the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Services (ARTES) programme, in which the UK is a major investor. In November 2022, the UK government committed £190 million to the programme, pledging to further develop the country’s growing satellite industry and promote the creation of new aerial connectivity technologies.

The first £50 million of this funding was made available to applicants by the government earlier in the year, targeting related projects in the satellite communications industry.

The UK is not alone in its interest in non-terrestrial connectivity. In related news, today the GSMA announced a new Memorandum with Understanding (MoU) with the ESA, aiming to explore greater collaboration between the satellite and mobile industries to better develop network technologies. The agreements initial focus will be on accelerating the integration of satellite communications with terrestrial 5G and, in the future, 6G networks.

“By collaborating more closely with the European Space Agency, and its satellite network operator ecosystem, we hope to accelerate the immense potential satellite and terrestrial telecommunications networks can create for consumers and businesses when they are more closely connected,” said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer at the GSMA. “By working together, we can help the communications industry bring innovative solutions to market, which in turn will create tremendous benefits to society by connecting even more people, wherever they are in the world.”

How is the UK’s growing satellite communications industry reshaping the nation’s telecoms sector? Join the operators in discussion at this year’s Connected Britain conference

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5G NTN-mobile market revenue to hit $18bn by 2031

As expect, CityFibre has today announced that they’ve officially made a new 2.5Gbps (symmetric) speed consumer UK broadband tier available at wholesale for their retail ISPs to sell on to customers, which harnesses the operator’s new 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP / XGS-PON) network. The launch doesn’t come as much of a surprise because we’ve already […]