Networking In Aerospace

Russian drone units continue to experiment with cellular networks for GPS-denied navigation. Although not necessarily a new concept, I keep seeing pics of downed-Russian drones with Ukrainian SIM cards and/or 4G, LTE modems. At a minimum, cellular datalinks can help with telemetry, but the more ambitious prototypes have been leveraging A-GPS and RTK (Real Time Kinematic) capabilities found inside smartphones. Even more wild is having a drone connected to Telegram in order to send/receive encrypted photo and location data, or receive real time changes to the flight mission.

Picture a cell tower that takes to the sky when the ground route is blocked. We sit with Chris, senior disaster recovery manager at T-Mobile For Business to unpack how a tethered drone becomes a flying cell site—rising to 400 feet, running 24/7, and restoring coverage where trucks can’t reach. From islands off Puerto Rico to rugged stretches near Hawaii, this portable system can ride on a boat or UTV, spin up quickly, and hold the network steady until permanent infrastructure is back online. Chris explains how these aerial nodes slot into a broader disaster toolkit alongside SATCOLTs, vehicles, and generators, delivering continuity when storms, hurricanes, or wildfires hit. We get into the details that matter under pressure: endurance measured in weeks, nationwide staging for rapid activation, and the ability to prioritize connectivity for public safety using network slicing. That means police, firefighters, EMS, and emergency managers get dependable voice, data, and video when they need it most, while communities regain the lifeline of reliable communication. Security and safety anchor the entire approach. With encryption, strict procedures, and controlled altitude, the team keeps operations safe over complex disaster zones. And there’s more on the horizon—bigger airframes, advanced capabilities, and innovations designed to make resilient coverage faster to deploy and easier to maintain. If you care about disaster readiness, emergency communications, and the future of portable 5G, this conversation shows how resilient networks take flight—and why that matters for every community. #GartnerSYM T-Mobile for Business Partner at Innovate25

🚀Space: the final frontier 🛰️ BREAKTHROUGH IN 3GPP #5G NTN CONNECTIVITY: WORLD'S FIRST LEO NTN-DRONE DEMO 🛰️ 🚁In a pioneering leap for global 5G innovation, Airbus Defence and Space Central Research and Technology in partnership with OQ Technology has successfully completed the world’s first in-flight demonstration of a #5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) link between a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite and a flying drone. This milestone proves that high-speed, low-latency 5G communications over satellite are not only feasible—but reliable—even under the extreme dynamics of drone flight and varying orientations. 🌍 The test as a Proof of Concept, confirms that real-time 5G data can now reach beyond terrestrial boundaries, enabling critical use cases for disaster response, remote sensing, autonomous flight, and beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone operations—anywhere on Earth. 🛰️ As NTN becomes an essential part of #6G and future connected skies, this marks a turning point in aerospace and telecom convergence. 📡 The sky is no longer the limit—it’s the next coverage layer, the next frontier . 🔗 Full story at: https://lnkd.in/duruVuGM and https://lnkd.in/dqmwbjyp #5GNTN #LEO #DroneConnectivity #Airbus #OQTechnology #FutureOfConnectivity #6G #NonTerrestrialNetworks #SatCom #Breakthrough

Rus mil bloggers on the technical aspects of today's Ukrainian drone strike: "FPV control was carried out via mobile networks (4G, LTE and the like). The bandwidth of modern mobile networks is more than enough to perform such tasks. There were no ground control stations and, especially, no saboteur operators nearby. The truck driver in particular and the logistics chain in general are another story that our special services will have to figure out. The FPV drone was controlled via the ARDUPILOT software and hardware solution (system). Absolutely the same solution on the "Baba Yagas", only instead of the Starlink terminal, there is an LTE modem with an Ethernet output, to which a single-board PC a la "Raspberry/Orange". "A webcam is connected to the PC, which transmits the image and sends a UART channel to Ardupilot to send commands to control the drone. Ardupilot is used on platforms where flight stabilization and maximum control autonomy are needed, including in conditions of large delays in the operator-drone, drone-operator channel. In other words, this is the solution chosen in the conditions of working via Internet channels. The genius of this operation is not in its tech uniqueness (this solution is used by both parties to the conflict), but in the organizational and logistical part, multiplied by total local Rus sloppiness in ensuring security measures." https://lnkd.in/e2nrarpu

🔍 Rescue services at sea, in the desert and in the mountains This concept describes a mobile private 5G communication system designed for emergency use at sea, in mountains, or in deserts. The goal is to deploy a flying 5G base station (mounted on a drone) that maintains connectivity even outside terrestrial network coverage by combining 5G, LTE-M, and 5G-NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks). Communication Architecture: 1. 5G connection to a standard smartphone    - Uses a dual-SIM smartphone:        - SIM 1: Regular network (used in port or onshore).        - SIM 2: Private 5G SIM for the drone’s network.      - Benefit: No specialised equipment is required. A standard smartphone is fine. 2. LTE-M backhaul to the land base station:    - The drone acts as a hub between a ship in distress and a land station.      - Vivaldi directional antennas extend range for stable, long-distance transmission.      - Optionally, the LTE-M link can be replaced with 4G/5G if voice communication is required.  3. 5G NTN (Satellite Connectivity):    - When terrestrial connection is unavailable, the system automatically switches to NTN links via GEO/LEO Satellites.     - The growing number of 5G NTN satellite providers ensures global coverage.      - On the open sea, the flag state law applies—ships with EU flags only need CE/RED compliance. Hardware & Components: - nRF9151 with Feather PCB and multiband loop antenna (690–2700 MHz) from Antennity    → Supports both 5G NTN and LTE-M. The off-the-shelf setup works with open-source CoAP over DTLS 1.2 test software.  - Amarisoft 5G Base Station (Software-defined):   → Runs on SDR hardware like a USRP board, providing full 5G/NTN private network functionality with minimal weight and no need for custom hardware development.  - Antenna setup   - 5G NTN dual-band patch antenna (Bands 249, 255, 256 + GNSS) for satellite link.     - Circularly polarised 5G patch antenna for communication with smartphones.     - Vivaldi antennas for LTE-M / 4G / 5G ground link.  - Power supply:   - Batteries from existing 5G NTN “Cattle Tracker” projects (e.g., Digitanimal).     - Custom battery configurations (series/parallel) can optimise power vs. weight. Bottlenecks - Drone payload limit (5 kg) is the main constraint:     - A typical 5G base station weighs around 9 kg — too heavy.     - Using Amarisoft on SDR PCBs (200–500 g) is far lighter and practical.     - Efficient cooling and directed patch antennas further reduce weight and power consumption. Summary: This project demonstrates a highly integrated and modular design using commercially available technology. The innovative aspect is the three-layer communication path (private 5G, LTE-M relay,  5G NTN satellite), allowing resilient connectivity anywhere. Our system proposal could support emergency response, maritime rescue, off-grid research missions, or offshore industrial operations. Drop an email to harald.naumann(at) antennity. com 📧 and ask for your concept.