Telecommunications company T-Mobile Czech Republic has teamed up with drone manufacturer Primoco UAV SE to develop and test the effectiveness of using drone technology to boost telecommunications coverage during emergencies and for commercial events outside of normal signal coverage.

In a statement, Primoco said it and T-Mobile Czech Republic have verified the possibility of integrating an LTE network BTS base station into the Primoco UAV One 150 unmanned aerial vehicle.

The result is an advanced system that allows a substantial reduction in mobile network recovery time in emergency situations, applicable across the EU.

And before you all raise hands in protest… we know it is not exactly breaking new ground; as there are already several instances of tethered drones being deployed to emergency and disaster locations, to keep communications lines open when physical infrastructure has been destroyed or is non-existent.

But this is still a remarkable breakthrough from T-Mobile and its drone partner, to provide alternative mobile crisis communication solutions for emergencies such as fires, floods and windstorms where ground vehicle-based systems cannot be accessed.

The integration of a BTS station into the Primoco UAV One 150 drone, with an equipment payload of up to 30kg, overcomes these shortcomings, the parties say. On its own, the communications equipment supplied by T-Mobile weighs 8kg but can.

“Crisis management support is one of our main product lines,” said Primoco CEO, Ladislav Semetkovský.

“Unmanned technologies enable rapid deployment in places where it is needed, and we see many opportunities for similar deployments in the Czech Republic, be it large-scale fires, tornadoes or floods. Co-operation with T-Mobile fits perfectly into this system, as communication in affected areas is one of the key services that must be provided in the event of an emergency.

“Together with T-Mobile specialists, we integrated a new generation BTS station into our aircraft and verified the capabilities of this solution during a series of multiple hour test flights. The entire system can be deployed anywhere in the European Union, as our aircraft fully complies with European regulations and the BTS payload does not affect the key parameters of its operation and safety.”

T-Mobile says this technology – developed in the Czech Republic – enables the propagation of the mobile signal exclusively through the air without the need for a ground transmitter.

Further tests are being planned for the Jizerska 50 cross-country ski race in the Jizera Mountains in Bedřichov, starting on February 9^th.

“This technology has great potential not only in emergency situations such as fires, earthquakes or floods,” said Vladan Peković, CTIO T-Mobile Czech Republic.

“These are all situations where terrestrial transmitters temporarily or completely go out of service, or it is necessary to cover an area where the signal is not normally available, adding. It can also bring extensive opportunities for commercial use — with the growing popularity of mass sporting or cultural events in the countryside, there is a growing need for temporary signal reinforcement during such events.

“For example, in areas with special legal protection, where it is impossible to build a permanent ground transmitter or, due to inaccessible terrain, typically in mountainous and densely forested areas or protected areas, to solve the situation even with a temporarily built mobile station.”

The built-in mobile transmitter can be connected to a dedicated local network core to create a stand-alone campus network — for example, for emergency services. However, it can also be connected directly to the live network core via satellite.

The drone is operated by a specialist from a control centre, most often from a vehicle due to its movement in the field.

The drone used by T-Mobile in partnership with Primoco UAV SE has a flight time of up to 15 hours, a flight altitude of up to 3,300 m and a range of up to 1,800km at a cruising speed of 120km/h — it can cover any area in the EU in a matter of hours.

A 10 MHz channel is used for signal transmission, with a speed of up to 90 Mbps. The range of the signal depends on the flight altitude and the frequencies used. Typical coverage is around nine square kilometres, with a limit of nearly 20 square kilometres.

One drone can serve up to a thousand active users in the context of mobile signal distribution.

From the user’s point of view, nothing changes except the coverage; it is enough to have a 4G or 5G-enabled mobile phone and an active SIM card from T-Mobile. Though the partners advise the use of 5G-nabled devices, to make the most of the network’s potential.