Nokia and Swisscom Broadcast to Launch Nation’s Largest Drone Network for Enhanced Safety and Efficiency

Nokia and Swisscom Broadcast to Launch Nation’s Largest Drone Network for Enhanced Safety and Efficiency

(IN BRIEF) Nokia and Swisscom Broadcast are partnering to deploy a nationwide Drones-as-a-Service network in Switzerland, featuring 300 Nokia Drone-in-a-Box units. This network will enhance safety and efficiency for public safety and industrial applications, supporting emergency response, infrastructure inspection, and perimeter protection. The project, leveraging Nokia’s mission-critical industrial edge computing and 3GPP technologies, will enable advanced drone operations, including beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) capabilities. The service will function like a ride-sharing model, allowing on-demand drone flights for public safety agencies. This initiative marks a significant advancement in Switzerland’s digital infrastructure and Industry 4.0 efforts.

(PRESS RELEASE) ESPOO, 9-Aug-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Nokia, in partnership with Swisscom Broadcast, is set to deploy a nationwide Drones-as-a-Service network in Switzerland, marking the largest such deployment to date. This ambitious project will see the integration of 300 Nokia Drone-in-a-Box units to enhance safety and operational efficiency for public safety and industrial use cases.

The network aims to support emergency response, perimeter protection, and infrastructure inspection, thereby boosting the safety of public safety workers and optimizing resources. This collaboration is part of Switzerland’s efforts to advance Industry 4.0 and public safety through cutting-edge technology.

The drones will be operated remotely, providing critical information within minutes of an emergency to improve situational awareness for first responders. The service will function similarly to a ride-sharing model, allowing public safety agencies to request drone flights on demand. Swisscom Broadcast, alongside Nokia, will ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks, particularly regarding spectrum and aviation safety.

This project follows Nokia’s successful deployment of a similar network in Belgium with Citymesh and will be integral to modernizing digital infrastructure in Switzerland. Nokia’s mission-critical industrial edge computing (MXIE) and 3GPP technologies will enable beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) autonomous operations, facilitating advanced industrial applications and automation.

The drones will also enhance worker safety by inspecting hard-to-reach infrastructure, eliminating the need for workers to navigate hazardous areas. Nokia’s Drone Networks, part of the MXIE platform, support additional applications for industrial customers, including 3D mapping and asset detection.

The comprehensive Drone-in-a-Box solution includes drones, docking stations, ground control stations, video and thermal cameras, software, and service components, with interfaces and APIs for third-party integrations.

Dominik Müller, CEO of Swisscom Broadcast, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, highlighting the integration of Nokia’s hardware with Swisscom’s expertise as crucial for the project’s success. Raghav Sahgal, President of Cloud and Network Services at Nokia, emphasized the project’s significance in enhancing worker and public safety in Switzerland.

This deployment signifies a major step in leveraging drone technology for large-scale operations, benefiting both public safety and industrial sectors.

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SOURCE: Nokia