LMT, Latvia's leading mobile operator and tech innovator, has become Europe's first mobile operator to obtain certification to educate and examinate pilotes to receive licenses, announced the Operator this week.
The country's Civil Aviation Agency has certified LMT as a recognized organization to provide lessons and examinations, after which the applicant can receive a Remote Pilot Certificate of Competency in the A2 Open category of drone licenses, which includes personal and sport drones from 0.5-2kg in weight.
LMT is the first mobile operator to receive this mandate from a state regulatory agency in the EU. While several organizations have received this mandate, LMT is the first among mobile operators, and the first licencing organization in Northern Europe.
As the future of drones is increasingly connected, drones and mobile operators will be increasingly intertwined. Bringing the function of drone licensing under the roof of mobile networks is a step towards ensuring drone connectivity, which, in turn, is a prerequisite for smart city development.
Drone licenses are required in the EU for anyone who wishes to fly a drone that's heavier than 250 grams. Additional certifications are necessary for flight Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS).
Ingmārs Pūķis, Vice President and Member of the Board at LMT
We've long been believers that the future is mobile-only, and that drones are part of that future. We've seen over and over again the benefit of connecting drones to the mobile network – not only for safety via ID and authorisation, but also to facilitate smart city applications and remote drone use cases.
