Innovative Drone System Rapidly Reestablishes Mobile Networks Using Radio on Fiber Technology
by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabb
This article published in collaboration with JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association.
Japanese industrial conglomerate SoftBank Corp. recently announced that they had recently deployed a tether drone system to aid in flood recovery efforts across Monzencho, Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture on September 30, 2024, as part of a broader attempt to restore the telecommunications network.
Originally developed in 2022, SoftBank’s tether drone system is composed of a wireless repeater (parent unit), installed on the ground, and a wireless repeater (child unit) mounted on the drone. Communication between the parent unit and child unit is carried out via fiber optic cables using RoF (Radio on Fiber) technology .
The parent unit connects to mobile networks via satellite communication, so a temporary service area can be quickly established without being affected by damage to ground facilities such as base stations. This light, compact solution can be used for up to 4 days and supports both 3G and LTE (2.1GHz band), with an impressive on-site maximum download speed of 150Mbps.
The original press release announcing the tether drone said, “In the future, SoftBank will use this system, which can be set up within 30 minutes of arriving at the site and is suitable for short-term use, in combination with the “tethered balloon wireless relay system *2 ,” which is already deployed at major network centers nationwide and is suitable for long-term use of one month or more, in order to work toward the rapid restoration of service areas affected by natural disasters and the provision of stable communication services, and to create a “society that is connected anytime, anywhere.””
Drones equipped with wireless repeater devices (child units) are primarily designed for autonomous flight, but to maintain flexibility in the difficult conditions in which the system will be deployed, they can use the “Mobile Drone Flight Control System” jointly developed by SoftBank and the Tokyo Institute of Technology, which enables manual operation outside of visual line of sight from a remote location. In addition, the operation and monitoring of the wireless repeater devices and system control can also be performed remotely via a mobile device.
SoftBank also operated a wired power supply drone wireless relay system after applying to government agencies and coordinating with relevant Ishikawa Prefecture agencies.
More information is available here.
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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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