Telstra picks TEOCO to help with the development of its UAS strategy

March 25, 2020 | AUVSI News

To help with development of its UAS strategy, telecommunications company Telstra is partnering with analytics, assurance and optimization technologies provider TEOCO.

Telstra will use TEOCO’s AirborneRF technology to assess the readiness of its radio access network for future UAS applications, including communications, navigation, surveillance, safety, and identity.

According to TEOCO, AirborneRF, which is already being used by several tier-one operators across the world, ensures “effective, mission-critical” connectivity to enable effective traffic management and control for UAS in the lower airspace. 

“Commercial UAVs present a huge opportunity for telco operators, but only if supporting mobile networks deliver the required connectivity to keep them airborne,” says Thomas Neubauer, VP Business Development at TEOCO.

“Mobile networks were not designed to meet the needs of the aviation industry, so tight focus is needed to guarantee the quality of service needed to safeguard the additional revenue that connected skies promise. Our Airborne RF solution offers this guarantee to a growing number of major operators around the world.”

Telstra will use AirborneRF to develop a platform that enables a variety of mission-critical services, which is important in the support of successful UAS operations. The platform provides a link between a number of cellular networks and aviation systems, such as air traffic management (ATM), unmanned traffic management (UTM) and flight information management systems (FIMS).

TEOCO says that its AirborneRF technology will play “an important role” in helping Telstra enable a safe, equitable, secure and reliable urban air space platform. Telstra is expected to launch a pilot testing “flying taxis” in Melbourne, Australia this year, with commercial operations planned for 2023.