At the Drone Thought Leadership Summit, hosted by the University of Virginia’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies Center for Public Safety and Justice in collaboration with DRONERESPONDERS, public safety leaders talked about how Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs are changing the way agencies respond to emergencies. One issue that is paramount in urban environments: connectivity.
As one speaker explained, “When you run into that RF wall, you’re done.” In a city filled with tall buildings and other obstacles, traditional radio frequency signals can be blocked. When that happens, drones lose contact with operators, live video feeds may cut out, and responders lose the real-time view they were counting on.
Why Reliable Links Matter
For first responders, uninterrupted video and control links are not just nice to have. They are the foundation of the DFR concept. When a drone can no longer transmit video, officers lose the early situational awareness that helps them decide how to respond. Without that insight, agencies risk sending more personnel or resources than needed, or they may walk into a situation without knowing the risks.
A Way Around the RF Wall
To solve this problem, new approaches are making it possible for drones to keep working even when RF connections fail. One example is Skydio Connect Fusion, which lets a drone continue flying if it moves past the range of the controller, shifting seamlessly to a 5G or LTE network to keep streaming video and data.
Ryan Kao, Director of Public Safety Strategy and Legal Counsel at Skydio and a former officer with the San Francisco Police Department, explained why this is so important. “This feature is what makes it possible to fly in an urban environment like San Francisco,” he said. Kao commented that for Skydio, the functionality is a combination of their autonomy platform – which allows them to automatically fly a mission – with the assurance that when that mission takes the drone out of RF range, the 5G/LTE platform will take over.
What This Means for Agencies
With tools that combine autonomy and flexible network options, drones can deliver the consistent, reliable awareness that responders need. Agencies can see what is happening at a scene before they arrive, send only the people and equipment that are truly necessary, and approach incidents with more confidence.
Connectivity is one of the biggest hurdles for DFR in cities. Finding ways to bridge the gap between RF and cellular networks could be the key to scaling programs and making drones an everyday part of public safety operations.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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