Nokia extends Drones-as-a-Service partner programme with existing private wireless partners to provide Nokia Drone Networks benefits to industries in North America . Through this collaboration , enterprises and service providers will be able to realise the capabilities of drones , in a way that meets the needs of their business as well as benefit from new use cases and revenue streams .

Deployed in conjunction with Nokia Digital Automation Cloud , and Nokia MX Industrial Edge at their campus network , enterprises will be able to leverage robust , reliable connectivity , service predictability and the ability to process data obtained from the drones in real-time , on-premises to open the door to an array of innovative use cases and accelerate their return on investment .

Nokia Drone Networks , available for purchase , lease or one-off flight hire are bundled with compelling services delivering lower cost of ownership so more enterprises and service providers can take advantage of industrial drones .

Nokia and its partners within the private wireless space , such as DXC Technology , will collaborate with regulators and the industry ecosystem for flight approvals to achieve drone innovation and safety .

Backed by 4G , LTE and 5G connectivity for safe , reliable and Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations , Nokia Drone Networks will allow enterprises to see fastest return on investment , when deployed with Nokia Digital Automation Cloud private wirelessas-a-Service .

Enterprises can opt to purchase the Nokia Drone Networks industrial grade drone-in-a-box solution or minimise upfront capital expense by leasing , sharing or simply hiring drones for one-off or regularly scheduled flights .

Nokia and the members of its partner programme will offer bundled service packages tailored to the needs of enterprises , including managing data analytics or drone maintenance . The companies will also manage flight scheduling , working with relevant spectrum and airspace regulators to gain approvals , where required .

Drone service providers will benefit from being able to diversify their offering to more industries and realise new revenue streams . This is made possible through Nokia ’ s commitment to collaborating with industry partners , allowing users to customise the payloads , to meet their business needs .

Companies that choose to deploy or lease Nokia Drone Networks will benefit from an end-to-end solution , which has recently received certification from the Federal Communications Commission , FCC for operation in North America .

Nokia Drone Networks uses public and private 4G , LTE and 5G network connectivity for the greatest reliability and safety of Beyond Visual Line of Sight , BVLOS operations . Operated remotely for one-off or scheduled flights , the solution benefits from a highly ruggedised docking station that doubles as a recharging station .

Stephan Litjens , Vice President of Enterprise Campus Edge Solutions at Nokia , says : “ We are pleased to leverage our existing private wireless partnerships , such as the one with DXC Technology to offer Drones-as-a-Service to the North American market .” •

INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS 29

Intelligent Tech Channels Issue 72 | Page 29

NOKIA ANNOUNCES EXTENSION OF DRONES- AS-A-SERVICE PARTNER PROGRAMME TO PRIVATE WIRELESS PARTNERS