Emitel has just finished its preparations for launching the Emitel Drone Labs project – an initiative aimed at testing industrial drones used for deliveries, medical purposes, measuring, as well as ensuring safety and security. The test bed was installed in the Silesian and Low Beskids, giving a new purpose to the company’s high-rise infrastructure. Emitel also chose to open its environment for companies, organisations and start-ups developing their UAV technologies, which are looking for partners and opportunities to test their solutions.
Under current European Union regulations, airspaces combining unmanned and manned aircraft operations (so-called U-Spaces) require a specialised integrated network. What is more, these unmanned aerial vehicles need to constantly report their current location to ground-based receivers and other aircraft in the area in order to be able to operate in our skies. The infrastructure owned and operated by Emitel, including masts and towers with the height exceeding 300 metres located all around Poland, enables the company to build a comprehensive solution and broadcast signals to all receivers in the country.
“Using unmanned aerial vehicles for deliveries, medical transport and automated measurements at a scale is coming in near future, which is why Emitel is joining the initiatives to build these so-called U-Spaces, as well as other projects and efforts aimed at making this vision a reality. The goal of our tests is to build the knowledge and competencies of our experts, bringing us closer to commercialising these solutions. We are also open to working with start-ups, as well as more experienced partners in this area. Something that is important to note is that all tests taking place as part of the Emitel Drone Labs initiative will be based on methodologies that ensure complete safety to local communities. What is more, this is one of the first projects of this kind in Poland,” said Andrzej J. Kozłowski, President of the Management Board of Emitel S.A.
According to the authors of the Burza. Rynek dronów w Polsce [Storm. Drone Market in Poland] report, released by the Micromacro Institute Foundation and the Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation, the Urban Air Mobility vision envisaging widespread drone use spurred the decision-makers to focus on these issues. For several years now, there are companies in Europe blazing the trail for drones, which they perceive as an effective solution for the issues plaguing urban mobility and delivery of goods. Drones are also an opportunity to reach previously unheard of levels of quality of services, all thanks to shorter delivery times and ability to reach areas unreachable by other means of transportation.
Emitel’s ambition to develop a new UAV business line led the company to start working on various initiatives, carrying out preparatory works and tests in collaboration with experienced partners. Within the framework of the newly-launched project, Emitel offers partners in all industries, as well as public entities, an opportunity to participate in the testing initiatives. Integrating the network over a large area will enable the testing of diverse flight scenarios and conditions and a wide range of UAVs, as well as communications, high quality video transmission and remote identification technologies available on the market.
If you are interested in participating in the tests, please send a message to: dronelabs@emitel.pl