An innovative 5G development project will employ drones to help build an open and inclusive 5G ecosystem for use in port operations and incident response management, reports portstrategy.com.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), M1 Limited (M1) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have partnered with Airbus to conduct coastal 5G standalone (SA) network trials at the Singapore Maritime Drone Estate.
IMDA, M1, MPA and Airbus plan to conduct 5G SA trials in real-world environments to ensure unmanned aerial vehicles can operate safely and efficiently during all phases of their flights, including operations in the designated drone-fly zones.
Quah Ley Hoon, chief executive of MPA, said, “Given the growing need to create more efficient and sustainable solutions for the maritime industry, MPA supported the world’s first ship-to-shore drone delivery trial by Airbus and Wilhelmsen last year.
“We look forward to deepening the collaboration with Airbus and M1 to pilot innovative use cases for 5G technology in the maritime industry.”
M1 will also be collaborating with TeamOne Technologies Pte Ltd, a local enterprise, to support the development of local capabilities within Singapore’s small and medium-sized enterprises. TeamOne aims to design and develop the world’s first aeronautical certified 5G SA communication modem for urban air mobility (UAM) operations. This 5G modem will be tested and optimised during the trials.
Additionally, M1 will provide 4G and 5G network planning, including data collection for performance and coverage analysis of mobile network in the operating areas, network parameter optimisation and implementation of interference minimisation methods.
Airbus will provide a fleet of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for safe-flight testing and offer expertise in the integration of the unmanned aircraft for the trials.
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