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Nokia to Design Full Ecosystem for Network-Connected Drones for Dubai Smart City

Nokia to Design Full Ecosystem for Network-Connected Drones for Dubai Smart City Image Credit: Nokia

Nokia has teamed up with the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to design a full ecosystem for network-connected drones for Dubai smart city.

The partnership will allow Dubai government security network operator Nedaa to develop a next generation network for mission-critical and smart city services within the GCAA regulatory framework.

At the heart of this new ecosystem will be Nokia's UAV Traffic Management (UTM) concept, which is being developed to manage drones in and around cities, and coordinate their interactions with people, manned aircraft and an increasingly diverse array of connected objects.

The Nokia UTM system will provide capabilities such as automated flight permissions, no-fly zone control and beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) that are critical for the safe operation of UAVs in densely populated urban areas. The ecosystem will also serve as a testing ground for various applications of drone technology, which can be explored in a safe and controlled environment.

Nokia's UTM concept combines its expertise in 4G LTE and Mobile Edge Computing and related services - including managing the Network Operations Center, planning and optimizing the network for UTM connectivity and integrating UTM to other application platforms - to provide a platform that can support the extreme low latency and exceptional reliability and resiliency needed to manage UAV traffic.

The system will be able to monitor airspace and flight paths, and share data between UAVs, operators and air traffic controllers and establish no-fly zones that can be continually refreshed with the latest data, said Nokia.

Bernard Najm, head of the Middle East Market Unit at Nokia
The UAE is committed to making Dubai the smartest city in the world, and UAVs are expected to play a critical role in this process by supporting a wide variety of smart city services. This collaboration with the GCAA, the first of its kind in the world, gives us a unique and extensive test bed where we can trial and refine our UAV Traffic Management system, and shape the future of UAV management overall.

Author

Ray is a news editor at The Fast Mode, bringing with him more than 10 years of experience in the wireless industry.

For tips and feedback, email Ray at ray.sharma(at)thefastmode.com, or reach him on LinkedIn @raysharma10, Facebook @1RaySharma

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