Nokia Enterprise Campus Edge Solutions (Nokia ECE) and Hitachi have signed a sales agreement for Nokia Drone Networks, with Hitachi becoming the first company in Japan to acquire sales rights for the solution.
Signed on August 25, 2026, the agreement will see Hitachi add Nokia Drone Networks to its existing drone solutions, supporting applications including infrastructure inspection and disaster response.
Nokia Drone Networks consists of drones, docking stations, and software designed for industrial and public safety applications. The docking stations enable automatic takeoff, landing, and charging, allowing drones to remain on-site and operate remotely without requiring a pilot to be physically present. Nokia ECE drones can operate autonomously from takeoff through mission completion, return, and recharging.
The solution can use both LTE and 5G, with two Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) to support continued connectivity in the event of communication failures. It also incorporates an edge cloud, a ground control station, a parachute, and a dual-gimbal camera.
Hitachi will combine Nokia Drone Networks with its flight management system and other technologies. The resulting offering will cover operational design tailored to customer operations and inspection targets, as well as the management and analysis of acquired video and data. For infrastructure inspection, Hitachi plans to use the solution to support remote patrols and inspections at preset times across large areas or at height without requiring frontline workers to travel to the site.
The company also plans to use Nokia Drone Networks for disaster response applications, while developing the offering around customer needs and usage scenarios. Drones could be operated remotely in locations including remote islands and mountainous regions where firefighters may take time to arrive, as well as areas where there is a risk of secondary disasters. This is intended to support local governments and fire departments in assessing damage and the condition of social infrastructure.
Nokia ECE is expanding its drone deployments in Europe and North America. Nokia Drone Networks has been deployed at 70 locations across Belgium, while public safety deployments are also expanding in the United States to support initial response activities by police, fire, and ambulance services.
Hitachi plans to introduce its drone solutions in stages, beginning with proof-of-concept deployments and progressing toward operational use while verifying their effectiveness. Acquired data can also be centrally managed in the cloud to support information sharing and secondary use across multiple locations.
