We've built a 4G drone tracking system, beams Vodafone

Vodafone is working on an airborne drone detection system based on 4G M2M mobile phone technology, the Brit-based network operator said this morning. The “pioneering technology”, as Voda has dubbed it, works by putting a standard 4G SIM card and radio onto a drone. The mobile operator then tracks the drone through a method …

[Blockchain commentard]

Tested in Spanish backwaters = good 4G signal. Test in UK and it'll drop to 2G very quickly.

[Anonymous Coward]

Simple, if the drone strays into an area it shouldn't be Vodafone will cut the connection and the drone will be programmed to automatically land with zero respect for what it is landing on. Lawsuits in 3..2..1...

[Marcus Fil]

Lawsuits in 3..2..1...

No, no, no, landed on my property, is now my property .. do you want to buy it?

[The last drone to 'land' on my property was actually dismantled by magpies before the owner fessed up and asked for it back; I gave him the back the bits the birds had not had it way with - those remaining parts did not look at all like they could constitute a viable flying machine]

[Martin Gregorie]

On discovering a problem break the glass

AC speculated that on ramming a geofence or losing contact with home, the Vodacopta would land regardless of where it was. Its far more likely that it will return to base - that capability is built into most drones and is also part of the Voda system.

Its interesting that Voda have something that can and is being field tested. This is a marked contrast to Altitude Angel, who have been talking up their drone solution[*] since 2015, but still don't seem to have anything testable apart from a cloudy map showing airspace and NOTAMS and an app to view it with.

[*] with claims of autonomous navigation, beyond LOS operation, geofence awareness and collision avoidance for other drones though not, apparently for GA and other Class G airspace users.

[TrumpSlurp the Troll]

I wonder

If there is a roaming agreement?

[Ken Hagan]

What's the point of RPS when GPS is far more accurate and has far better coverage?

[Anonymous Coward]

I could answer that...

I could answer that but I'd be giving Rudd's Maybot ideas and in all honestly, she doesn't get many.

For all the women to get to the top, to act as female role models for future generations, the Rudd/May combo have set that goal back to Theresa's favourite year 1890.

I would genuinely like to see more females in Government/Technology, but it's a topic (tech) you do have give up a lot of time to, to understand it at all levels.

Rudd/May clearly haven't ever given it more than a passing glance.

[tiggity]

@ Ken Hagan

GPS blocking / overriding

The tech is very common - plenty of commercial drivers with GPS trackers in their vehicles mysteriously stop sending GPS location when in good GPS and mobile signal areas e.g. taxi doing an "off the books" run.