Drones to Help Develop 5G for Ports; Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Involved in Trials

June 15, 2020 - The Infocomm Media Development Authority (“IMDA”), M1 Limited (“M1”) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (“MPA”) have partnered with Airbus and to conduct coastal 5G standalone (“SA”) network trials at the Singapore Maritime Drone Estate. This continues Singapore’s efforts to build an open and inclusive 5G innovative ecosystem around the use cases of port operations, and incident management and response.

“M1 has been a front runner in supporting the maritime industry to drive adoption and application of smart 5G technologies, and we are very pleased to be working with IMDA and MPA to innovate more 5G use cases in a live environment,” said Mr. Manjot Singh Mann, Chief Executive Officer, M1.

IMDA, M1, MPA and Airbus plan to conduct 5G SA trials in real-world environments to ensure unmanned aerial vehicles can operate safely and efficiently during all phases of their flights, including operations in the designated drone-fly zones.

M1 will also be collaborating with TeamOne Technologies Pte Ltd, a local enterprise, to support the development of local capabilities within Singapore’s small and medium-sized enterprises. TeamOne aims to design and develop the world’s first aeronautical certified 5G SA communication modem for urban air mobility (“UAM”) operations. This 5G modem will be tested and optimised during the trials.

Ms Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive, MPA, said, “Given the growing need to create more efficient and sustainable solutions for the maritime industry, MPA supported the world’s first ship-to-shore drone delivery trial by Airbus and Wilhelmsen last year. We look forward to deepening the collaboration with Airbus and M1 to pilot innovative use cases for 5G technology in the maritime industry.”

In addition to the coastal trials, M1 and Airbus have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to conduct connectivity trials for in-land areas. This will enable M1 and Airbus to address the growing interest in unmanned aircraft systems (“UAS”) for UAM for other industries.

All necessary permits and approvals will be sought from relevant agencies prior to the conduct of any flight trials.

SOURCE: Infocomm Media Development Authority