K
Kathleen Martin
Guest
The future of drone technology for state and local governments could be discovered somewhere near the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. That’s the hope, at least.
Earlier this fall, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a plan to launch what the state billed as the nation’s first unmanned aircraft systems testing range using fifth-generation wireless networks, in a 50-mile corridor between the upstate cities of Rome and Syracuse, which was first created in 2019.
The governor named public safety, agriculture and forest management, transportation and logistics, media and film development, and utilities and infrastructure as industries that could benefit from the development of 5G-enabled drone technology. The work will be led by the Open Generation Consortium, a group led by the MITRE Engenuity foundation that includes government agencies, academics and private firms. The group includes Verizon and wireless network infrastructure companies Ericsson and Nokia.
“There are a multitude of potential uses, so this 5G corridor will become an important training area to move from a test environment to an everyday use in commercial airspace,” Rome Mayor Jacqueline Izzo tells the Observer-Dispatch newspaper.
New York Corridor Will Test Drones That Go Beyond Line of Sight
The corridor is managed by the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance. New York has been laying the foundation for experimentation. As GCN reports:
Current Federal Aviation Administration regulations require drones to fly 400 feet above the ground and remain in the sight of the operator. The ability to go beyond the line of sight of an operator is crucial to expanding the capabilities of drones, especially in areas such as public safety and agriculture.
Continue reading: https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2021/11/new-york-state-research-5g-enabled-drones
Earlier this fall, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a plan to launch what the state billed as the nation’s first unmanned aircraft systems testing range using fifth-generation wireless networks, in a 50-mile corridor between the upstate cities of Rome and Syracuse, which was first created in 2019.
The governor named public safety, agriculture and forest management, transportation and logistics, media and film development, and utilities and infrastructure as industries that could benefit from the development of 5G-enabled drone technology. The work will be led by the Open Generation Consortium, a group led by the MITRE Engenuity foundation that includes government agencies, academics and private firms. The group includes Verizon and wireless network infrastructure companies Ericsson and Nokia.
“There are a multitude of potential uses, so this 5G corridor will become an important training area to move from a test environment to an everyday use in commercial airspace,” Rome Mayor Jacqueline Izzo tells the Observer-Dispatch newspaper.
New York Corridor Will Test Drones That Go Beyond Line of Sight
The corridor is managed by the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance. New York has been laying the foundation for experimentation. As GCN reports:
According to the governor’s statement, the corridor will “include an experimentation hub with more than 100 square miles dedicated to 5G beyond-visual-line-of-sight testing and long-range flight paths — a capability critical to the commercialization of safe and secure unmanned aircraft systems.”
Current Federal Aviation Administration regulations require drones to fly 400 feet above the ground and remain in the sight of the operator. The ability to go beyond the line of sight of an operator is crucial to expanding the capabilities of drones, especially in areas such as public safety and agriculture.
Continue reading: https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2021/11/new-york-state-research-5g-enabled-drones
