According to a statement 300 ‘drone-in-a-box’ units are planned for the roll-out, enabling “emergency response, perimeter protection and infrastructure inspection.” Switzerland is the second country to deploy the Nokia solution nationwide, the first being Belgium.
Discussing the Swiss project, a spokesperson said: “[The drones] will support Switzerland's public safety and 'Industry 4.0' efforts. [The deployment] will highlight Nokia's strength in modernising digital infrastructure projects, and utilising mission-critical industrial edge computing. [This is] with the support of 3GPP technologies for beyond visual line of sight autonomous operation.”
The spokesperson continued: “In addition to increasing first responders’ safety, drones support resource optimisation and help to save the lives of those involved in incidents. The drones - which are operated remotely -, gather relevant information within the first minutes following an emergency, enhancing first responders' situational awareness.
“Nokia Drone Networks integrates the drone, a docking station, ground control station, and payload with video and thermal cameras, [alongside] related software and service components. The solution also supports interfaces and APIs for easy third-party integrations, such as traffic monitoring systems, video management software, dispatch solutions, and industrial inspection and process monitoring systems.”
The statement says that Swiss public safety agencies will be able to request a drone flight, equating the system with a “ride-sharing service.” The solution is expected to be available in all areas of the country.
President of Nokia cloud and network services, Raghav Sahgal, said: “We are proud to partner with Swisscom Broadcast - a true innovator in drones-as-a-services operation - for this important project.
“Nokia Drone Networks solution enables large-scale projects as it incorporates our mission-critical industrial edge technology to power its advanced computing functions and software. It will undoubtedly help Swiss enterprises gain access to a superior drones-as-a-service offering, to enhance worker and public safety.”
