Vodafone and Manna Complete Two-Kilometre BVLOS Drone Flight Using 4G Network

Vodafone and Manna Complete Two-Kilometre BVLOS Drone Flight Using 4G Network

(IN BRIEF) Vodafone and Manna Air Delivery have demonstrated a two-kilometre BVLOS drone flight using Vodafone’s 4G network. Manna supplied its delivery drone expertise—backed by 200,000 prior missions—while Vodafone provided telemetry transmission, network APIs, and aerial coverage maps at the Moorock, Ireland test facility. This trial supports Vodafone’s strategy to enable safe, long-range drone operations across Europe, anticipating a rise to 395,000 commercial drones by 2030, and lays the groundwork for a continent-wide drone traffic management system leveraging both mobile and satellite links.

(PRESS RELEASE) BERKSHIRE, 4-Jul-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Vodafone has teamed up with Manna Air Delivery—an Irish pioneer in urban drone logistics—to successfully pilot a delivery drone over a two-kilometre route using Vodafone’s 4G network. This collaboration demonstrates how mobile connectivity can enable beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations, expanding the reach of last-mile drone deliveries.

Manna, with six years’ experience and roughly 200,000 completed deliveries, provided the drone and expertise, while Vodafone supplied network APIs and aerial coverage maps. At Manna’s Moorock test site in Ireland, telemetry data streamed over Vodafone’s network allowed the remote operator to monitor and guide the drone securely throughout its flight path.

“As we scale our delivery network, integrating mobile connectivity gives us real-time tracking and control—even when drones fly out of sight,” said Alan Hicks, CTO of Manna Drone Delivery. “Working with Vodafone enhances the safety and reliability of our urban logistics.”

This proof-of-concept aligns with Vodafone’s broader initiative to facilitate drone operations across Europe, where commercial drone numbers are expected to surge to 395,000 by 2030. Vodafone has previously pioneered mobile-based drone air-traffic control trials and demonstrations to prevent incursions into sensitive airspace.

“Our extensive pan-European network can safely guide drones on longer, BVLOS missions—whether for parcel delivery, medical logistics, or remote surveying,” explained Anthony Chen, Project Lead at Vodafone Business. “Combining terrestrial connectivity with emerging low-Earth-orbit satellite links, we envision a unified traffic-management system that delivers two-way communication and collision avoidance for thousands of drones across Europe.”

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SOURCE: Vodafone Group