Nokia and UAE Civil Aviation Authority to Develop UAS Management System

By Mike Ball / 23 Nov 2016

Smart Sourcing for Unmanned Systems

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Follow UST

Nokia drones

 

Nokia has announced that it has entered into a strategic collaboration with the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to drive the development of an end-to-end unmanned aircraft system (UAS) ecosystem that will make the UAE the first country in the world to allow the operation of drones by both businesses and government agencies in a safe, secure and managed environment. The project is part of an initiative by the GCAA to make Dubai one of the world’s smartest cities by 2017, and will allow Dubai government security network operator Nedaa to develop a next generation network for mission-critical and smart city services within the GCAA regulatory framework.

At the heart of this new ecosystem will be Nokia’s UAV Traffic Management (UTM) concept, which is being developed to manage drones in and around cities, and coordinate their interactions with people, manned aircraft and an increasingly diverse array of connected objects. The Nokia UTM system will provide capabilities such as automated flight permissions, no-fly zone control and beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) that are critical for the safe operation of UAVs in densely populated urban areas. The ecosystem will also serve as a testing ground for various applications of drone technology, which can be explored in a safe and controlled environment.

Drones are quickly emerging as important tools for businesses and governments alike, providing substantial benefits such as infrastructure monitoring and maintenance, public safety applications, logistics and transport and many more. The GCAA has launched this initiative so businesses and local government can take advantage of these benefits, making the city smarter while minimizing any hazards that UAVs may present.

Nokia’s UTM concept combines its expertise in 4G LTE and leadership in developing 5G and Mobile Edge Computing and related services – including managing the Network Operations Center, planning and optimizing the network for UTM connectivity and integrating UTM to other application platforms – to provide a platform that can support the extreme low latency and exceptional reliability and resiliency needed to manage UAV traffic. The system will be able to monitor airspace and flight paths, and share data between UAVs, operators and air traffic controllers and establish no-fly zones that can be continually refreshed with the latest data.

This agreement complements a recent Nokia initiative to establish and develop a UAV test facility at Twente Airport in the Netherlands.

Bernard Najm, head of the Middle East Market Unit at Nokia, said: “The UAE is committed to making Dubai the smartest city in the world, and UAVs are expected to play a critical role in this process by supporting a wide variety of smart city services. This collaboration with the GCAA, the first of its kind in the world, gives us a unique and extensive test bed where we can trial and refine our UAV Traffic Management system, and shape the future of UAV management overall. This is an exciting opportunity that builds on our strong relationship with the UAE to help facilitate its smart city journey.”

Ismaeil Mohammed Al Blooshi, Assistant Director General of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, said: “We, as a civil aviation regulator, are pleased to partner with Nokia for such an innovative initiative for the UAE aviation sector and to build a safe and secure drone ecosystem. Being the number 1 aviation industry in the world with regard to safety standards, the UAE has superb aviation infrastructure and is qualified to play a key role in innovative aviation projects such as this drone collaboration.”

Posted by Mike Ball Mike Ball is our resident technical editor here at Unmanned Systems Technology. Combining his passion for teaching, advanced engineering and all things unmanned, Mike keeps a watchful eye over everything related to the unmanned technical sector. With over 10 years’ experience in the unmanned field and a degree in engineering, Mike’s been heading up our technical team here for the last 8 years. Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

Who to see at Xponential 2025

UnmannedSystemsTechnology.com are thrilled to be working with so many companies attending AUVSI's Xponential this year...

May 12, 2025
GuideNav: Top MEMS IMUs for UAV Flight Control

GuideNav examines MEMS IMU selection for UAV control, comparing accuracy bands and performance levels across consumer, industrial, and military-grade applications

May 12, 2025
Aurora Flight Sciences Advances sUAS Range with New Upgrades

Aurora Flight Sciences has enhanced its SKIRON-X sUAS range to improve flight performance and simplify operation

May 12, 2025
ATL Fuel Bladders for Unmanned Systems to Feature at XPO25

Aero Tec Laboratories (ATL) will present its latest fuel bladder technologies for unmanned systems at XPONENTIAL 2025, highlighting solutions for air, land, and sea

May 12, 2025
uAvionix Unveils Wearable ADS-B Receiver for UAS Operations

uAvionix announces skyAlert, a rugged, wearable ADS-B receiver purpose-built for professional UAS pilots and their visual observers

May 12, 2025
ParaZero Secures European Order for Drone Parachute Safety System

ParaZero receives a significant European order for its SafeAir™ M4 system, highlighting rising demand for advanced drone safety solutions in high-regulation markets

May 12, 2025

Featured Content

New Tactical Grade IMU from Inertial Labs for UAVs & Guided Munitions

Inertial Labs has launched the IMU-H100, a compact, tactical-grade MEMS IMU designed to enhance precision navigation for UAVs and guided systems

May 08, 2025
Geolocation in GPS-Denied Environments Successfully Demonstrated

Trillium Engineering's GD-Loc, integrated with the HD55-MV gimbal on a Group 2 UAS, has successfully demonstrated sustained Category 1 geolocation accuracy within six meters, highlighting its critical advantage for precise ISR missions in GPS-denied environments

May 06, 2025
Spexi + LayerDrone: A New Era of Aerial Intelligence

Imagine a real-time, crowd-sourced map of Earth. Spexi, powered by LayerDrone, pays drone pilots to capture ultra-detailed imagery, offering organizations data that’s faster, cheaper, and more precise than traditional methods

Apr 29, 2025
Advancing Unmanned Systems Through Strategic Collaboration UST works with major OEMs to foster collaboration and increase engagement with SMEs, to accelerate innovation and drive unmanned systems capabilities forward.