Nokia and Swisscom Broadcast to Deploy 300 Drones in a Box Across Switzerland

New Network to Enhance Safety and Efficiency for Public Safety and Industry

Nokia has partnered with Swisscom Broadcast to deploy a nationwide Drones-as-a-Service (DaaS) network across Switzerland. This deployment will feature 300 Nokia Drone-in-a-Box units aimed at enhancing safety and operational efficiency for public safety and industrial use cases.

Building on Success in Belgium

This new project in Switzerland builds on Nokia’s successful deployment with Citymesh in Belgium. In May 2023, Nokia announced a pioneering contract with Citymesh to supply its Drone Networks platform with 70 Drone-in-a-Box units. This initiative created a 5G automated drone grid across Belgium to improve emergency response times and efficiency.

Branded SENSE by Citymesh, the 70 drones were deployed in 35 emergency zones across Belgium. These drones gather crucial information within the first 15 minutes of an emergency call, providing first responders with detailed situational awareness. With over two million emergency calls received annually, Belgium’s emergency services benefit from drones that provide high-definition and AI-enhanced thermal imaging, transferring real-time aerial footage to control centers before teams even leave the scene.

Nationwide Network for Safety and Efficiency

Swisscom Broadcast has selected Nokia to deploy the largest DaaS network in Switzerland. The 300 Drone-in-a-Box units will support emergency response, perimeter protection, and infrastructure inspection. This initiative aims to improve the safety of public safety workers and enhance industrial operations.

This project marks Nokia’s second nationwide deployment following Belgium’s Citymesh deployment. It will support Switzerland’s public safety and Industry 4.0 efforts, showcasing Nokia’s expertise in digital infrastructure and mission-critical industrial edge computing (MXIE).

Enhanced Emergency Response

Drones in the network will be operated remotely, gathering vital information within minutes of an emergency. This capability will significantly enhance first responders’ situational awareness. Public safety agencies in Switzerland can request a drone flight from Swisscom Broadcast, similar to a ride-sharing service.

Additionally, Nokia and Swisscom Broadcast will offer a service portfolio that includes expertise, compliance, data collection, and analysis. This comprehensive support ensures effective and efficient use of the drone network.

Industrial Applications and Worker Safety

The deployment will also improve worker safety in industrial settings by inspecting tall or hard-to-reach infrastructure. This reduces the need for workers to navigate hazardous areas. Nokia’s Drone Networks, part of the MXIE platform, enable easy onboarding of additional applications like 3D mapping and asset detection.

The collaboration between Nokia and Swisscom Broadcast will support industrial automation, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, and the expansion of 3GPP technologies for drones in Switzerland.

Advanced Technology and Integration

Nokia’s Drone-in-a-Box solution includes the drone, a docking station, a ground control station, payloads with video and thermal cameras, related software, and service components. It supports interfaces and APIs for seamless third-party integrations, such as traffic monitoring and industrial inspection systems.

Dominik Müller, CEO of Swisscom Broadcast, stated: “We are pleased to select Nokia as a partner for this important infrastructure project in Switzerland. Together, we can speed up the go-to-market of our Drones-as-a-Service offering to our customers in the industrial and public safety landscape in Switzerland. The integration of our existing People Density Tool and our Drone Operations expertise with Nokia’s industrial grade hardware in combination with an open and future proof Software architecture is an important key to support such large-scale projects.”

Raghav Sahgal, President of Cloud and Network Services at Nokia, added: “We are proud to partner with Swisscom Broadcast, a true innovator in drones-as-a-services operation, for this important project to establish a nationwide Drone-as-a-Service network in Switzerland. Nokia Drone Networks solution enables large-scale projects as it incorporates our mission-critical industrial edge (MXIE) 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.”

The deployment of Nokia’s Drones-as-a-Service network in Switzerland, in collaboration with Swisscom Broadcast, represents a significant advancement in public safety and industrial operations. This initiative leverages advanced drone technology to enhance safety, efficiency, and operational capabilities across various sectors in Switzerland.