Swisscom Broadcast has partnered with Nokia to deploy a comprehensive drones-as-a-service network across Switzerland. This initiative will see the deployment of 300 Drone-in-Box units, designed to enhance emergency response, perimeter protection, and infrastructure inspection. The advanced network aims to improve the safety of public safety workers and optimize resource utilization, which could be crucial in saving lives during incidents.

Nokia emphasized that these remotely operated drones will collect critical information within the initial minutes of an emergency, significantly boosting the situational awareness of first responders.

“We are pleased to select Nokia as a partner for this important infrastructure project in Switzerland,” said Dominik Müller, CEO of Swisscom Broadcast. He highlighted the collaboration’s potential to accelerate the market introduction of their drones-as-a-service offering, targeting industrial and public safety sectors across the country. Müller also mentioned the integration of Swisscom’s existing People Density Tool and drone operations expertise with Nokia’s industrial-grade hardware and open, future-proof software architecture as a key factor in supporting such large-scale projects.

The Nokia Drone Network will soon be available throughout Switzerland, with both companies working closely with regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with spectrum and aviation safety regulations. The network will utilize Nokia’s Drone-in-a-Box system, which includes a fully integrated drone, docking station, ground control station, and payload equipped with video and thermal cameras, as well as supporting software and service components. The system also offers APIs for third-party integrations, making it compatible with traffic monitoring systems, video management software, dispatch solutions, and industrial inspection processes.

Public safety agencies in Switzerland will be able to request drone flights on demand, much like a ride-sharing service, through Swisscom Broadcast. This capability will allow agencies to quickly access the drone network to gather essential data, which will be analyzed with the support of Nokia and Swisscom.

In addition to public safety applications, the drones will inspect tall or hard-to-reach infrastructure, eliminating the need for workers to navigate hazardous areas. The drone networks are a key component of Nokia’s mission-critical industrial edge computing (MXIE) architecture, enabling industrial customers to easily integrate edge computing applications such as asset detection and 3D mapping.

Raghav Sahgal, president of cloud and network services at Nokia, highlighted the significance of this project, noting that the Nokia Drone Networks solution is powered by MXIE technology, which enhances its advanced computing and software capabilities. This collaboration with Swisscom Broadcast is expected to advance Industry 4.0 use cases, beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) autonomous operations, and further expand 3GPP technologies for drone use in Switzerland. This marks Nokia’s second nationwide Drone Networks project, following a similar deployment in Belgium by Citymesh.

By Impact Lab