Thales and Telstra link up to enable safe airspace for drones

Thales and Australian mobile network provider Telstra are working together to enable the management of low altitude airspace for autonomous flying taxis, drones and helicopters. The partnership is investigating how 4G and 5G technology and Internet of Things capabilities could enable robust navigation and monitoring of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – more commonly called drones. Chris Jenkins, chief executive of Thales Australia, says the partnership intends to help customers integrate unmanned aircra
March 4, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

596 Thales and Australian mobile network provider Telstra are working together to enable the management of low altitude airspace for autonomous flying taxis, drones and helicopters.

The partnership is investigating how 4G and 5G technology and Internet of Things capabilities could enable robust navigation and monitoring of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – more commonly called drones.

Chris Jenkins, chief executive of Thales Australia, says the partnership intends to help customers integrate unmanned aircraft into controlled airspace and help drone users perform their “missions in an orderly, safe and timely manner”.

Thales and Telstra have developed a prototype air traffic control platform called Low Altitude Airspace Management to integrate manned and unmanned traffic. The firms say it will include automated drone flight approvals and dynamic airspace management.

Australia is not the only country looking to improve the safety of airspace for drones. Last month, US space agency Nasa confirmed it is moving into the final %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external phase false http://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/nasa-tests-drone-traffic-management-system-in-nevada-and-texas/ false false%>of a four-year programme to prove it can safely control drones flying over urban areas.

Enforcement

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • CHAMP final workshop
    June 12, 2014
    The European Cycling Heroes Advancing sustainable Mobility Practice (CHAMP) project will come to an end in September 2014. The final workshop takes place in Gent, Belgium on 11-12 September. The CHAMP project brings together leading cities in the field of cycling. Within the project, they have looked at innovative ways to further boost cycling in their cities and enhance local policies. CHAMP has developed and tested a performance analysis tool, building on self-analysis as well as peer review by ot
    Read More
  • New features for Phonepark parking management app.
    March 5, 2014
    Portuguese company EST will present its new Android application for managing a Phonepark parking place. This application allows users to manage their private parking space and they may temporarily authorise its use by other users (30 different users). In case of parking space abuse, the owner of the space is immediately warned by sms, in the same way as the multi-user Phonepark. A new design and new features for the standard Phonepark will be shown at Intertraffic. EST says it plans to extend the implementa
    Read More
  • eCall: Where do we go from here?
    September 10, 2013
    The Ertico Partnership is hosting a one-day forum in Brussels on 7 November 2013 to examine the future development of automated emergency call (eCall) and how it may be integrated into a wider telematics platform. With eCall mandated in Europe for new types of cars from October 2015, how can the broader global concept of emergency call move forward and take advantage of this in-vehicle technology?
    Read More
  • SVS-Vistek launches new 12MP camera range
    March 26, 2014
    Product enhancement and new launches feature on the SVS-Vistek stand. The company’s Tracer series of cameras now features better heat management a customer-requested improvements to casings’ screw fixings. But alongside improvements sits something wholly new – the SVCam-evo 12040. This is a CMOS-based camera, available in 12MP versions, which offers capabilities – high blooming suppression, low image lag and dynamic range – which matches those of CCD-based rivals, said the company’s Roland Maier.
    Read More

Highlighted Content