Deutsche Telekom Debuts Flying Base Station at Jizerská 50 to Provide Mobile Coverage in Remote Areas

Deutsche Telekom Debuts Flying Base Station at Jizerská 50 to Provide Mobile Coverage in Remote Areas

(IN BRIEF) Deutsche Telekom has made history by deploying a drone as a mobile base station at the Jizerská 50 cross-country ski race in the Czech Jizera Mountains. This marks the first-ever use of a UAV with an integrated mobile base station on a live commercial network, providing temporary coverage in otherwise unreachable areas. The flying antenna solution demonstrates the company’s ability to deliver flexible mobile communications in diverse scenarios, from sporting events to disaster zones.

(PRESS RELEASE) BONN, 21-Feb-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — In a groundbreaking move, Deutsche Telekom has utilized a drone to provide mobile network coverage at the Jizerská 50, a famous cross-country ski race held in the Czech Republic’s Jizera Mountains. This first-of-its-kind deployment involved an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with an integrated mobile base station, offering coverage to a six-kilometer section of the race route, which had previously been without mobile service.

Developed in collaboration with unmanned aviation specialists Primoco UAV SE, the flying base station successfully delivered continuous mobile coverage for four hours under optimal weather conditions. The drone, operating at an altitude of 2.3 kilometers, provided coverage to 4,460 participants in the main race and over 23,600 visitors, achieving impressive download speeds of up to 95 Mbps and upload speeds of 34 Mbps.

Claudia Nemat, Board Member for Technology and Innovation at Deutsche Telekom, highlighted the advantages of such innovative technology: “Flying antenna drones offer resilient connectivity in hard-to-reach locations or crisis situations. This technology complements Deutsche Telekom’s diverse toolkit for providing reliable mobile communications, no matter the circumstances.”

The Jizerská 50 race presented an ideal scenario for the use of a flying antenna, as the Jizera Mountains Protected Landscape Area is both a popular sporting venue and a nature reserve. The deployment ensured that participants remained connected throughout the event, without disrupting the environment. This successful trial marks Deutsche Telekom as the first European carrier to implement such a flying base station.

Deutsche Telekom’s flying base station is part of the company’s broader strategy to offer flexible mobile coverage solutions during various scenarios, including natural disasters and major events. The company’s array of temporary coverage solutions includes cells on wheels and the ‘Cell-Tower-to-Go,’ but the new UAV-based solution is particularly beneficial in areas with challenging terrain or regulatory constraints, such as mountainous regions or protected areas. The drone can also provide critical mobile communications during crises such as floods, fires, or earthquakes, when traditional infrastructure is unavailable.

The Primoco One 150 drone, which serves as the flying base station, is a Czech-made UAV that connects to terrestrial backhaul and satellite systems to provide mobile coverage. The drone can support up to 1,200 users simultaneously and deliver download speeds of up to 200 Mbps and upload speeds of 75 Mbps. Its compact design—measuring 3.65 meters in length and featuring a 4.85-meter wingspan—makes it ideal for rapid deployment in challenging environments.

Deutsche Telekom will showcase this innovative flying base station at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from March 3 to 6, 2025. Visitors can experience the drone firsthand and learn more about how this technology can transform mobile communications for a variety of applications.

Availability:
For more information on the flying base station and to see it in action, visit the Deutsche Telekom booth at MWC 2025 in Hall 3, booth 3M31. The company will also offer live streams of events and keynotes at MWC 2025 events.

Media Contact:

Adrian Sanchez
Spokesperson and Telekom Blogger
media@telekom.de
+49 228 181 49494

SOURCE: Deutsche Telekom AG