Swisscom expands drone network for surveillance
Swisscom is expanding a national drone network for automated flights, particularly for surveillance purposes. The service, created in collaboration with Nokia, should be of particular interest to police authorities and fire departments.
The Swiss drone network will be available this fall for infrastructure inspections, police operations and the protection of large areas, as the subsidiary Swisscom Broadcast announced on Thursday.
Automated flights beyond visual contact are already widespread in Switzerland today, as Armin Schädeli, media spokesman for Swisscom, told the Keystone-SDA news agency when asked. Swisscom currently carries out around 3000 automated flights per year, and the trend is increasing.
The existing offering will be supplemented with the "Drone-in-a-Box" service. "The 'Drone-in-a-Box' units will improve the broad availability of operationally efficient drone applications for industrial purposes and to ensure public safety," Swisscom Broadcast continues.
According to Armin Schädeli, the service is primarily of interest to police authorities and fire departments. The network is now being set up and talks are being held with blue light organizations.
Swisscom undertakes to comply with the legal framework for the operation of the drone network, including frequency usage and flight safety. Financial details of the collaboration with the Finnish telecommunications group Nokia are not disclosed. (SDA)