AIRlabs Austria assesses cellular connectivity in UAS test facilities

AIRlabs Austria, a national consortium dedicated to uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) innovation, is working with Dimetor to assess cellular connectivity within their large-scale test facilities. The initiative aims to address the challenge of ensuring cellular connectivity for drones across Austria’s flight test zones, which is crucial for the safety and viability of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations.

Using Dimetor’s AirborneRF platform, AIRLabs has conducted an assessment of airspace connectivity in key flight test areas. AirborneRF identifies 3D airspace corridors with optimal connectivity for drone activities, along with population density metrics for ground risk assessment using anonymised cellular mobility data. Based upon the data obtained and the live connection to both mobile networks, AirborneRF’s embedded AI capabilities enabled a successful forecasting of airspace connectivity throughout the test facilities.

The Dimetor-AIRlabs collaboration could assist BVLOS flight operations in Europe – particularly in the regulatory context of SORA – by being able to mitigate risks using multiple cellular provider data for BVLOS flights. Given the increasing importance of centralised systems like Flight Information Management Systems and Uncrewed Traffic Management, the initiative and its ability to provide real-time, dynamic airspace connectivity data and ground risk assessments could have far-reaching implications. 

Earlier this year, AIRlabs Austria successfully conducted the first drone flights at LOGG Punitz Airfield with the support of Austro Control Dronespace.