AT&T, Dedrone team up on IoT platform to protect against malicious drones

AT&T, Dedrone team up on IoT platform to protect against malicious drones Wednesday 10 October 2018 | 11:18 CET | News

AT&T and Dedrone, a San Francisco-based drone detection technology startup, are teaming up on a drone detection platform that helps protect military bases, venues, cities, and businesses, from malicious drones. AT&T is the sole LTE connectivity provider for Dedrone’s drone detection platform. Dedrone detects drones of all kinds, including commercial, consumer and military-grade, as well as autonomous drones. The airspace security platform uses IoT sensors and LTE connectivity to detect, classify, mitigate, and localise drone-based threats. Since 2014, Dedrone has been working with correctional facilities, public utilities, and other organisations to help protect their lower airspace from drone incursions.

Dedrone’s software-centric platform identifies approaching drones by means of radio frequency, visual, radar, and other sensor data. Analysis of sensor data then reliably classifies approaching drones and finds their locations. It then triggers alarms to alert security staff.

The wide area and early detection capabilities allow public safety agencies to react quicker and more efficiently. It can also be integrated with other counter measures to help protect the public, such as building management and alarm systems. AT&T is also using drone technology itself. AT&T started investigating the use of drones a few years ago and has since started using drones for tower inspections, carrying our customers’ live LTE communications at events, and providing connectivity at scale to first responders and consumers.