A Drone Mobile Tower for Disaster Response: the Starlink Connected Solution

Vocus and NSW Telco Authority Test Starlink-Connected Drone Mobile Tower for Disaster Response

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

In partnership with NSW Telco Authority, specialist fiber and network solutions provider Vocus has revealed a new method for granting crucial 4G/5G mobile connectivity in emergencies utilizing an innovative tethered drone. Through the use of high-speed low-earth orbit satellite connectivity from Vocus Satellite – Starlink, the drone is able to serve as an aerial mobile tower, providing connectivity over up to 28 square kilometers. This solution was developed by Challenge Networks, the Vocus company specializing in private 4G/5G networks, using hardware and tether designed and flown by XM2.

 

The drone can hover while carrying up to 15kg, with payloads including 4G/5G tower equipment, P25 two-way radio equipment and bright floodlights or cameras. Its ground-based power supply grants it the ability to fly for an indefinite period, enabling the drone to offer critical support to emergency services in rescue and recovery situations. In collaboration with a missing person’s mobile carrier, first responder’s can use the drone to establish a new coverage zone to make contact with the person.The drone can also act as an airborne mobile tower in a natural disaster situation where mobile towers have been rendered inoperative.

Recently, Emergency Services Organisations were able to test the solution during a demonstration at a NSW Rural Fire Service base in Bimbimbie. Led by the NSW Telco Authority’s Next Generation Digital Connectivity initiative, the demonstration let them experience how the drone can provide critical communication services in response to natural disasters, particularly when standard mobile networks are unavailable.

“This is an example of how Vocus is using its strength in satellite technology, and Challenge Networks’ expertise in wireless and systems integration to deliver a brilliantly simple solution for a particularly Australian challenge,” said Ashley Neale, Development Manager Space and Satellite, Vocus.

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• Australia Introduces 40 Question BVLOS Exam for Ops in Non-Controlled Airspace

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.