Cellular-enabled Aerial Vehicles: Exploration of the Landscape of the North American Ecosystem

The GSMA North America Vertical Application Taskforce (NAVA) has published its latest whitepaper, which delves into the world of cellular-enabled Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS).

In a landscape where drones have long been a part of commercial availability, the shift towards cellular systems marks a pivotal turn in their evolution. From hobbyist photography to critical applications in public safety, drones have predominantly relied on short-range wireless connectivity like Wi-Fi. However, as demands surge and use cases evolve, cellular systems emerge as a progressively relevant option for managing the command-and-control link of UAVs.

This exhaustive whitepaper illuminates the principles and advancements of cellular UAS in North America, delineating how mobile networks stand poised to bolster the market today. Covering a spectrum of commercial UAS applications, including information delivery, logistics, and the promising domain of human transportation, this paper carefully explores ongoing initiatives and essential prerequisites critical for advancing the UAS ecosystem.