Telekom Unveils Experiences and Partnerships for Drone-based Mobile Networks

At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, Deutsche Telekom shared insights into its innovative approach to establishing temporary mobile networks using drones in crisis-hit and remote areas. The company detailed its first commercial deployment of this technology, which took place in early February 2025 in the Czech Republic's Isergebirge region.

The drone, known as the Primoco One 150, is manufactured by the Czech company Primoco UAV SE. This unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) measures 3.65 meters in length, stands 1.25 meters tall, and has a wingspan of 4.85 meters. Notably, the Primoco One 150 is designed for easy transportation; it can be disassembled into several components and transported to the launch site by small vehicles.

According to Deutsche Telekom, the drone is capable of taking off from grass runways, although asphalt or concrete surfaces are preferred. After a full tank, the drone can operate for up to ten hours, with an operational estimate of six hours at the deployment site, allowing two hours for both outbound and return flights. The drone's operational range spans all of Europe, supported by approvals from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The necessary mobile communication technology is primarily housed in the front section of the UAV. From an overhead view, the computing unit with large cooling fins is visible, while the antenna, responsible for coverage, is strategically located beneath it. This antenna can provide LTE coverage for an area of up to 20 square kilometers, with an optimal coverage area of approximately 15 square kilometers. The downlink capacity is rated at 200 Mbps, while the uplink can handle 75 Mbps. The company emphasizes that while voice calls will be the primary application, data transmission is possible, albeit limited by bandwidth constraints. The antenna can serve a maximum of 1,200 devices simultaneously.

Connectivity can be established either through a ground-based core network or via satellite, the latter of which was previously tested, achieving data rates of 200 Mbps between the drone and satellite.

Deutsche Telekom highlighted two primary scenarios for deploying this flying mobile antenna: in disaster situations, such as floods or earthquakes, where conventional mobile networks may fail, and for providing temporary services in underdeveloped areas. Critical for operations in emergencies is the ability to prioritize certain bandwidths for specific users, ensuring that emergency services have preferential access to the network.

To that end, Deutsche Telekom has formed a partnership with the Federal Police to facilitate this priority access. Additionally, there are capabilities for prioritizing specific data streams, such as reserving bandwidth for video transmissions or push-to-talk communications.

Rather than establishing its own fleet of UAVs, Deutsche Telekom intends to collaborate with existing UAV manufacturers and operators, indicating that the mobile technology can be integrated into various UAV models, provided they have sufficient space.