Allowing faster real-time data transmission and operations in emergency situation: 5G in UAS

Acting promptly, rather immediately is what an urban emergency calls for when it comes to the public safety for extending successful interventions. In such scenarios, integrating drone technology with 5G communication turns out to be a killer combination to carry out thorough and rapid monitoring, as compared to its human counterparts.  For example, the deployment of expensive forces that are required to identify and track a suspicious vehicle or individual, can be replaced with the advanced 5G drones. 

With the continued development of Internet of things, smart cities, artificial intelligence and 5 G network, unarmed autonomous systems (UAS) are rendering a more robust, reliable and stable mode of ensuring public safety. 

In 2019, the integration of 5G technology with aerial drones was tested in the Matera city of Italy for public safety. The Bari-Matera 5G project, which was a consortium between Fastweb, TIM and Huawei, successfully established an operational integration of 5G wireless tech with drone technology. The byproduct was a low-cost public safety UAS, deployed with 5G wireless network. The experiments were conducted to cope with the security menace caused by jammers, devices with the capacity to disturb and inhibit routine communication technologies, such as GPS, radios, mobile phones etc.

While the process of detecting, identifying and locating suspects, has become pertinent for public safety, autonomous solutions provided by companies like Wynyard Group, Qualcomm, Telia and Ericsson ONE ensure reliable communication and access to crucial information in real-time. These solutions help first-responders like policemen, fire fighters, emergency medical squad in critical situations, where it is not feasible or safe for human resources to administer relief measures or gather requisite information. 

Stepping into autonomous 5G networks can notably augment the analytical power of drones, their visual and audio data, enabling effective interventions. The public safety drones with cellular network connectivity allow for reliable and beyond sightline remote control, as exhibited in Canada’s public safety drone trial. The trial included a drone delivering automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to a far-flung sight, reducing the treatment time for cardiac arrest victims in remote areas.