In collaboration with Nokia, Telefónica demonstrated an innovative comprehensive service for autonomous drones at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, aiming to transform air mobility in Spain.
This proposal, based on the company’s high-performance 5G network and the advanced capabilities of Open Gateway, enables the safe, efficient, and scalable integration of autonomous drone operations in airspace.
Telefónica’s ‘Open Gateway 5G Drones’ demo is built on three fundamental pillars:
- 5G network and Open Gateway – This combination provides high-speed connectivity and enables the use of APIs that support safe and efficient flight planning and execution, allowing for risk anticipation and route optimization.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and computational power – These technologies enhance drone capabilities across various applications, enabling complex tasks such as monitoring, control, predictive maintenance of critical infrastructure, material delivery, and even fire prevention.
- Telefónica’s remote control center – Serving as the ecosystem’s central hub, this facility monitors and manages drone operations and their automated nests, located tens or even hundreds of kilometers away. From any location in Spain, operators can handle flight planning, real-time monitoring, and preventive maintenance, ensuring a safe and comprehensive service.
At the Telefónica stand at this year’s MWC, users can learn about Nokia Drone Networks, a 5G-based drone-in-a-box solution (including the drone, base station and control software) with an open software architecture and integration with both private and public networks, supporting large geographical areas with a drone-as-a-service model. This demonstration is part of an ongoing collaboration between Telefónica and Nokia for the benefit of public safety and mission-critical industries.
Telefónica: Comprehensive Management of Drone Nests
Telefónica presents a differential service in the drone ecosystem through the integral management of automated drone bases for the operation of autonomous drones. Drone bases are automated stations designed to house, recharge, and deploy drones autonomously, functioning as operational bases for the drones, allowing them to carry out both routine and on-demand operations without the need for direct human intervention.
Telefónica’s comprehensive service covers, in addition to the network of drones and their nests, their maintenance, the management of flight permits for compliance with all safety regulations and standards, as well as flight piloting and operation.
The integration of 5G technology in this service is key to providing a greater flight range, a high data capacity (which is essential for the transmission of videos sent by the drone when it carries out a mission), and low latency, allowing the drone to be controlled in real time or managed in operations where the drone needs to react quickly to changes in its environment.
The integration of 5G technology is essential for extending flight range, enabling high data capacity for real-time video transmission during missions, and ensuring low latency. This allows drones to be controlled in real time or to respond quickly to environmental changes during operations.
MWC Demonstrations
To demonstrate the possibilities offered by autonomous drone flight planning, Telefónica is showing three use cases at MWC in Barcelona with real applications integrated with the AirborneRF platform (from Dimetor) and Open Gateway’s 5G network capabilities. One of the use cases on display is related to healthcare, where an air corridor is used to transport medical supplies between hospitals.
Another is related to environmental protection, where the drone network is used to detect heat sources for fire prevention. The third case focuses on the logistics sector for all types of industries, where inventory can be carried out autonomously due to drones scanning the QR codes of parts and goods in warehouses, without the need for operators and machines.
Anti-Drone Capabilities
Telefónica has also implemented an advanced anti-drone system throughout the country, a technologically advanced solution designed to guarantee the safety of critical infrastructures, crowded events and confined spaces.
This system, based on the latest radio frequency technology, detects and neutralizes unauthorized drones with great precision, even in complex scenarios. Its effectiveness and reliability have been proven in various environments, consolidating it as a key tool in the protection of airspace.
Telefónica’s anti-drone system is highly scalable, allowing it to adapt to future technologies and operational needs. Thanks to its ability to integrate with other security systems, the system not only responds to current threats, but also anticipates technological developments.
Open Gateway
Open Gateway is the GSMA-led telco sector initiative that transforms telecommunications networks to drive a new generation of digital services through global, standardized APIs to facilitate their integration in the development of new solutions. Telefónica’s use of APIs in the use of drones is redefining the future of air mobility.
In the ‘Open Gateway 5G Drones’ demo, which can be seen at the Telefónica stand at this year’s MWC, users can learn how the API Dynamic Airspace Connectivity Data works. This uses AI to obtain information about the connectivity provided by 4G and 5G networks throughout a certain volume of airspace for a future date and time.
They will also be able to understand the application of the API Population Density Data, which makes it possible to identify the density of people who will be under the route of a drone at the time of the flight, evaluating the potential risks of that itinerary and choosing the best alternative to guarantee safety and comply with regulations.
It will also be possible to find out how the API of Quality on Demand is used, which optimizes the connectivity necessary for the use of the drone, offering an uninterrupted connection.
Visit Nokia at Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona, Hall 3 Stand 3B20 & Hall 4 Stand 4G300, March 3-6.
