Deutsche Telekom has first deployed a drone as a flying mobile base station to effectively provide mobile network coverage to consumers on a live commercial network. The creative application happened at the famed cross-country skiing event, the venerable Jizerská 50 race in the Jizera Mountains of the Czech Republic.
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with an integrated mobile base station delivered coverage from an altitude of 2.3 kilometers. It is providing continuous connectivity for the event’s participants and visitors. The project was the result of a collaboration between Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile Czech Republic, and unmanned aviation experts Primoco UAV SE.
First Commercial Deployment in Europe
During its first-ever deployment, the drone provided consistent network coverage for four hours under favorable weather conditions, serving an otherwise uncovered six-kilometer stretch of the Jizerská 50 race route. This makes Deutsche Telekom the first carrier in Europe to deploy such a flying base station.
“In inaccessible terrain or crisis situations, a flying antenna drone provides resilient connectivity. Wherever it is needed. And very effectively. This approach complements Deutsche Telekom’s broad toolbox to reliably provide mobile communications in many scenarios,” said Claudia Nemat, Board Member for Technology and Innovation.
The Jizerská 50 race offered the perfect scenario for the flying base station. The Jizera Mountains Protected Landscape Area, a frequent venue for sporting events, is also a nature reserve, making it unsuitable for permanent base stations or large temporary infrastructure.
Without interfering with the protected environment, T-Mobile Czech Republic ensured that the 4,460 participants of the 50-kilometer main race and the total of over 23,600 visitors attending the event had seamless connectivity. Download speeds reached up to 95 Mbps, while uplink speeds hit 34 Mbps.
A Flexible Solution for Challenging Scenarios
Deutsche Telekom boasts a wide range of temporary coverage solutions that can be flexibly deployed based on the situation. These include cells on wheels, Cell-Tower-to-Go, and now flying base stations.
The drone-based mobile network solution, developed by Deutsche Telekom’s innovation team in the Czech Republic, can be used in diverse scenarios such as:
- Large sporting or cultural events held in areas with difficult terrain or legal restrictions, such as mountains or forested areas.
- Crisis situations like floods, earthquakes, or fires, where terrestrial infrastructure may fail.
The flying base station can quickly deliver mobile communications to affected populations and emergency responders in these challenging situations.
The Flying Base Station: Technical Details
The Primoco One 150 drone, manufactured in the Czech Republic, serves as the flying antenna system. It is capable of connecting “air-to-ground” to terrestrial backhaul or “air-to-space” via satellites. The system supports download speeds of up to 200 Mbps and upload speeds of 75 Mbps, connecting up to 1,200 users simultaneously.
The drone itself is 3.65 meters long, 1.25 meters high, with a wingspan of 4.85 meters, making it a robust and cutting-edge solution for providing mobile coverage in otherwise inaccessible areas.
Demonstration at Mobile World Congress
Deutsche Telekom will present the flying base station at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona from March 3–6, 2025. Visitors to the Deutsche Telekom booth can view the drone and learn how it is set to revolutionize mobile communications for events and disaster response scenarios.
