Researchers from BT Group and GSMA Intelligence published a report this week warning that the UK is lagging behind the rapidly expanding global drone economy, where immediate action is required within the next year to catch up, reports marketscreener.com. The two companies have laid out guidance for the UK Government and regulators to transform the drone economy, as the country lands mid-table in a new global study of “international drone readiness.”
The report, commissioned by BT Group, says, “The UK must learn from international peers and recommendations are published which could help guarantee the country to become a leader in the drone economy, if acted on within the next year.”
The research found that many of the UK’s international partners, including Japan, Switzerland, France, Germany and Italy have seen their drone ecosystems develop faster due to established regulatory systems and infrastructure. The UK currently sits at the middle ‘drone readiness’ index, with Switzerland taking a leading position and, surprisingly, the U.S at the bottom of the table reflecting slower progress in drone regulatory rules.
The report continues, “With drones potentially contributing UKP45 billion to the economy and supporting 650,000 jobs by 2030, the report’s recommendations has transformative potential for both the public and private sector.”
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Meanwhile, a separate poll for BT Group found that 75 percent of consumers believe it is essential for drones to be used for public service delivery, and two thirds agree that drones could have a positive impact on their lives.
The report outlines four key recommendations:-
Facilitating permissions for safe, remotely piloted drone flights at scale, where Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) underpins a successful drone industry and its applications
While the UK has a BVLOS policy, the research suggests it is confusing and unclear among the raft of companies and start-ups testing or seeking deployment of their services at scale. The implementation guidelines need to be simplified and modernised. And a supporting regulatory framework that includes Unmanned Aircraft Traffic System Management (UTM), safety standards and training — must be a priority.
Enforce pro-innovation regulations and a pro-growth regulatory culture
The CAA must formulate workable regulations that promote investment in a timely manner, while ensuring safe operations and delivering public confidence in the industry.
Extend the Future Flight Challenge
The UK has many innovative companies in the drone sector that need a say in regulatory development. The flagship Future Flight Challenge, which the government has funded, has been a clear help and stimulus to private sector innovation and so this, or a related scheme, should be extended.
Act Now!
The UK has a window that is as narrow as 12 months to set the regulations and guidance to help the sector thrive. The study found that many advanced economies expect drone regulations to be in place by 2024–2025, a date that the UK must also meet to remain competitive in developing home-grown technology for domestic use and in export markets.
Dave Pankhurst
BT Group’s research also reveals there is strong consumer demand for drone capabilities from a wide range of industries such as utilities, public services, manufacturing, last-mile logistics and distribution, conservation and land/forestry management, film and TV sectors.
The report comments, “BT Group’s startup incubation hub, Etc., has already made significant steps in unlocking the potential of drones. Earlier this year, Etc. announced a landmark partnership with UTM specialist Altitude Angel, a collaboration that will help enable Etc. to become a one-stop shop for UK drone enablement capabilities.”
It adds, “Actioning the report’s recommendations could play a key role in bringing to market further opportunities that drone technology has to offer the public and private sector — from supporting the police to rapid transport of blood samples and delivery of items cheaper and faster than ever before.”
Dave Pankhurst, Director of Drones, Etc. at BT Group, commented, “Across the globe, the drone industry is being rapidly unlocked. Tapping into this can transform the world of business, the delivery of public services, and the prospects for the UK economy.”
He continued, ”BT Group is leading from the front. Our mobile network, as the largest and most reliable in the UK, could be critical. From improving flight control; assisting with authentication and authorisation; facilitating data transmission; and enabling cellular communication, 4G and 5G technology can be the backbone of the industry.” Adding, “At Etc., we have reached some significant landmarks already, but with these new recommendations, we hope to rally the support of the government and industry regulators for the UK drone industry to reach its full potential.”
Tim Hatt
Tim Hatt, Head of Consulting at GSMA Intelligence, remarked, “There is no question drones will be a key part of successful digital economies. The technology side of development is happening at pace across the board. The issue now is having regulatory systems that enable commercial expansion at scale. The challenge for the UK is that, despite huge progress in drone development, regulation has not kept pace and the country therefore scores only 62 out of 100 on overall market readiness, placing it behind European peers and others such as Japan.”
He continued, ”This need not be the case. Beyond the hive of activity happening in the drone sector, UK mobile network infrastructure and service development are advancing; 4G and 5G mobile coverage now reach 99 percent and 63 percent of the population respectively. Taking action on these recommendations would go a long way to helping the government’s ambitions to make the UK a technological leader in the 5G era, providing a boost to GDP, jobs and international competitiveness.”
Background
GSMA Intelligence is the definitive source of global mobile operator data, analysis and forecasts, and publisher of authoritative industry reports and research. The company’s data covers every operator group, network and MVNO in every country worldwide from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. The company claims “It is the most accurate and complete set of industry metrics available, comprising tens of millions of individual data points, updated daily.”
The consumer research was conducted using Yonder’s online omnibus among a nationally representative sample of 2,092 UK adults between 29th and 30th March 2023.
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https://www.bt.com/content/dam/bt-plc/assets/documents/newsroom/race-to-the-top.pdf
