FCC Approves Nationwide Testing of Cellular Networks for Drone Safety Applications
- Published
- Source
- Dronelife.com
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has eliminated a regulatory barrier to facilitate nationwide testing of commercial wireless networks on drones and general aviation aircraft. This order, effective September 11, supports the Department of Transportation's Mobile Network Aviation Assessment Program (MNAAP), which aims to evaluate wireless signal quality across various locations and altitudes in the contiguous United States.
This initiative is significant as it seeks to determine the capability of commercial networks to support safety-related aviation services, including UAS command and control, autonomous detect and avoid systems, and counter-UAS detection. The waiver creates a controlled testing environment for participants approved by the Department of Transportation, allowing for the collection of crucial data on mobile broadband service performance.
Looking ahead, the MNAAP may authorize up to 2,000 general aviation pilots to utilize a dedicated app on standard devices to report findings to a centralized database. Additionally, dedicated modules may be deployed on up to 200 UAS for targeted testing. This program could enhance understanding of airborne network performance, although the effectiveness of ground-based cellular infrastructure in aerial operations remains to be fully assessed.
Original report
FCC Clears Nationwide Test of Cellular Networks for Drone Safety
Dronelife.com · Miriam McNabbThis briefing is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting and is provided for industry information and news discovery. The original report and source publication are credited and linked where applicable. RobotToday does not claim ownership of third-party source material.
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