BVLOS for UAVs: How can we let smaller drones off the leash?

With Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations just over the horizon, future enterprise drones could vastly improve industrial productivity. But to offer products with the right capabilities, drone manufacturers must guide the development of a common underlying technology platform for their target market segments, says Vidhya Sridhar.
The satellite and telecoms industries have committed to the future convergence of terrestrial and non-terrestrial telecommunications networks. A world of global hybrid connectivity based on 5G standards is coming into sight, and so is a new industry ecosystem.
Faced with dwindling Returns on Assets, satellite operators will increasingly look towards Internet of Things (IoT) as a potential remedy to the growing problem of broadband overcapacity.
This blog looks at the impact of orbit and operating frequency on the types of IoT service a satellite operator can deliver. Paying attention to IoT network topology and air-interface protocols will enable all operators to make the most of the dish in front of them, says Steve Baker.
What does the rise of 5G and new (LEO) space operators mean for the satellite and cellular industries and for next-generation IoT? TTP’s Adrian Hillier charts the way ahead.
New LEO satellite networks promise high-speed broadband access for billions living beyond the reach of fibre and cellular networks. But the cost of User Terminals (UTs) for such satellite connections remains far beyond consumer budgets. Andrew Fell sketches how technical innovation, convergence in standards and network intelligence could pave the road to low-cost UTs for broadband from space.
Smart antennas can radically improve IoT network performance - and they can do this with no changes to the population of wireless IoT devices. Only the IoT gateway terminals – usually relatively few in number – need the upgrade. But ultimately everyone reaps benefits – network operators from improved coverage, data capacity, network resilience and location services, and network users from lower cost and lower power IoT devices.
In our concept paper "Satellite at the Edge", we extolled the virtues of an edge-centric approach to Satellite IoT. Having described the “what”, we now set out the “why” by outlining four major benefits and asking whether they primarily advantage satellite network operators or their customers.
Architects have increasingly powerful tools for building edge-centric IoT systems at their disposal, which could deliver better IoT outcomes and lower operating costs. But all too often the default assumption is that cloud-centred designs are best. Adrian Hillier argues that architects must embrace the edge to enhance the performance of their IoT systems in a way that is intelligent and scalable.
New space companies are planning to launch low earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide broadband internet everywhere on earth. But with antennas for satellite receivers at consumer price points still out of reach, how will users be connected?