Source from AP, Yonhap News

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By AsiaToday reporter Kim Ye-jin - As commercial use of drones accelerates, 'mobile network' is gaining much attention which is expected to open a new market for communications companies.

What's essential in connection with the commercialization of the drones is an aerial traffic management system. Last month, the United States has developed a cloud-based software called unmanned aerial system traffic management system (UTM) and has conducted a test in California, reported Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun, aka Nikkei, on December 9.
 
After conducting an flight test on drones' speed, GPS altitude, flight monitoring device, low-altitude radar system, and more, NASA called it as "the first steps toward drone traffic management."

What was more eye-catching was that one of the private companies that participated in the flight test was Verizon Wireless, an American cellular communications service provider.

While existing aviation industry has been developing as means of long-range transportation connecting the airports, the air traffic control system is consisted of radar and radio waves monitoring around the airport.

However, commercial drones are changing the situation.

As Amazon is planning to use drones to deliver packages within 30 minutes, commercial drones should use everywhere as their airports. However, it's virtually impossible for the US government to build those drone control system in the country.

Thus, NASA considered mobile network and used those cellular base stations installed every few kilometer for flight monitoring and control support. Based on this, Verizon Wireless and NASA have been jointly conducting a research over the past two years.

Nikkei said that if drones are allowed to use as a commercial service, then it will give an opportunity for communications companies to open up a huge market.