Bridging Telecom and Aviation: Enabling scalable BVLOS drone operations through airspace digitalization

The integration between aviation and telecommunication systems is essential for enabling safe and scalable
beyond visual line of sight (BVLoS) drone operations. To make BVLOS drone operations scalable, real-time
access to dynamic airspace connectivity and dynamic population density data is critical for ensuring
operational safety, regulatory compliance, and efficiency. Mobile network operators (MNOs) are uniquely
positioned to deliver this data, allowing aviation systems to make informed decisions based on the existing
ground risk, as well as extrapolated and real-time network conditions such as throughput, latency, and other
key radio network coverage indicators. This paper provides an introduction to the services that mobile network
operators (MNOs) are delivering to support the drone ecosystem, with a particular focus on the reliability of
information about airspace connectivity.