The Telekom wants to enable with the German air navigation long-haul flights of drones. The cooperation combines the Power authority of the communication giants, and the data of the flight fuse.
On the image 14 green circles are seen in almost all you can see a plane icon. These are aircraft currently in the airspace of the Rhine-Main area. A circle falls out of the frame: Also, he is green, but in the middle of a X. It is a drone, which is placed in the vicinity of the venue, to the Deutsche Telekom and Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS) is your community organization Droniq imagine.
“Droniq provides a point of entry into commercial operation of unmanned aircraft, in particular for drone flights out of sight of the Operator,” explains DFS CEO Klaus-Dieter Scheurle.
So far, drone flights in Germany are only allowed in sight of the remote pilot and the borders of the commercial use of the unmanned missiles. According to DFS, around half a million drones in operation throughout, which are currently only around 20,000 of them in the commercial area. This is, however, as an observer, appreciate change drastically in the future. It companies are already in the starting holes, with the help of flying drones to deliver Goods, or means of flight taxi even people automatically from A to B want to fly.
High Potential
Commercial drones are now being used to measure such construction site or in agriculture. “I think the potential of this industry is very high,” said Deutsche Telekom CEO Timotheus Höttges. “Think you are to the gas pipelines every two weeks, energy-guzzling helicopters to be flown over. In the future, this activity can be completely taken over by drones.” Another example is the Surveying of land for a highway was. Here, the range of the drones to skim area is currently at 800 meters limited. Droniq is in connection with a potential air taxi operators, security companies, rescue services and other industrial companies want to award contracts to the company.
The Problem with flights out of the sight of course, is that the risk of collision with other aircraft; a different Problem of possible violations of no-fly zones. So drones are not allowed to fly, for example, generally close to or over Federal roads and motorways, even in a temporary no-fly zones, the aircraft must not penetrate. In the cooperation of Telekom and DFS can be technologically controlled in real-time.
The danger of a monopoly
In the joint venture, Deutsche Telekom on the one hand, its dominant position in the nationwide network with LTE technology. This network is not on the ground, gaps still in the air but. Therefore, it is possible that the drones can pass through in the future at any time your situation, location, and direction of movement. Together, these data are then in the technology platform of Droniq, the data of the German air traffic control and with appropriate connections in real time with the aviation authorities to be able to communicate. The core of the business model of Droniq the facilities of commercial drones with Moilfunk-cards (SIM), and a GPS tracking System is.
Both companies have unique features in your area, you since already two and a half years in the preparation of Droniq have to be incorporated. However, a certain degree of responsibility for the German air traffic control with, says aviation expert Heinrich large bongardt. “The flying fuse would have to in the future, in principle, be open to other providers, because it is a monopoly provider in us.”
In the next three to five years, in any case, both companies expect that Droniq can realize a turnover of about 20 million euros. Until the company is profitable economically and profits enters, it may take a little longer.
From a regulatory point of view, however, there are still some hurdles to overcome in more detail: some borders. Because the organization of air travel is the responsibility of the States, permits must be issued by the authorities of the Federal States. If you want to send, for example, a Blood bag with a drone from Frankfurt to Mainz, you would have to apply for the two country’s aviation authorities. “All of this makes no sense,” says DFS-Chef Klaus-Dieter Scheurle. “To pull people’s bodies economically Benefit from this flight, you need a Central licensing authority. We provide us to such a place.”
Droniq will first try to establish itself on the German market, in order to allow, in the future, flights out of sight of the Drones vastness of the remote-control pilot. A perspective view of DFS and Deutsche Telekom intend to expand this business but also in other countries of Europe.