Fly further with our advanced solutions for drones

The digital landscape continues to forge ahead. Every day new ideas and solutions emerge that revolutionise the limits of what we thought possible. As recently as 15 years ago, mobile phones were closed systems, with no apps or external integrations. The opening of APIs and SDKs revolutionised the ecosystem, allowing the creation of services that transformed technology and communication. Today, the same revolution is happening in telecommunications networks, which are opening up for developers to access their advanced capabilities.  
  
The Open Gateway initiative is transforming the way Telcos participate in the digital ecosystem, enabling the use of their advanced capabilities. Through standardised and programmable APIs, it facilitates the creation of new business models and digital services, integrating network functionalities in a simple and efficient way. Thanks to its progress, the project is enabling real companies from all over the world and in a wide range of sectors to move forward: smarter Fintech services, optimised logistics processes, Industry 4.0, entertainment on another level and even safer drone operations.  
  
One of the most prominent areas is precisely the latter. Also known as UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems), they are becoming ever-more important, as they allow processes to be optimised, reducing costs and improving the efficiency of companies in areas such as surveillance, emergency response, control of critical infrastructures and logistics. However, their deployment requires a robust connectivity infrastructure, compliance with current regulations and other impediments that are not always easy for organisations to overcome. Projects such as Telefónica Open Gateway improve efficiency and safety in drone operations by providing stable connectivity, even in unforeseen situations, and optimise flight planning with up-to-date and accurate data, achieving safer and more efficient operations. This is what we have seen at Mobile World Congress 2025, revolutionising the industry's most important trade fair with a demo called "Open Gateway 5G Drones", by Telefónica España, Telefónica Ingeniería de Seguridad and Telefónica Tech. Do you want to know more about it? Read on!  

As mentioned above, drone fleet management involves a number of requirements that can make it difficult to deploy. At Telefónica, we believe in the potential of this sector and we want to continue promoting its progress. Accordingly, we have presented, at one of the most important events of the year, an end-to-end solution, which makes use of our advanced capabilities as a Telco so that customers do not have to manage operations and do not have to know about drones. Just decide what they need them for, and Telefónica takes care of the rest.  
  
Our comprehensive service offers a network of 5G-connected autonomous drones which has the potential to expand widely in our territory. Also, in order to facilitate the use of these devices and to ensure that the processes necessary for their operation are not an impediment, full support is offered, including maintenance, flight operation and permit management. Likewise, compliance with current regulations and legislation is ensured, as well as integration with the U-Space ecosystem and compliance with European and local regulations within the framework of the EASA.   
  
Telefónica's nest drone network is connected with the best of our 5G technology. What does this enable? It makes it possible for them to operate remotely and to fly longer distances without the need for a pilot (BVLOS - Beyond Visual Line of Sight flights). In any case, to guarantee the safety of the flight and that it operates properly, it is monitored at all times from our Remote Control Centre. As if that were not enough, we enrich the service by adding a service for the identification of potential drone threats, which identifies and locates the devices within the delimited detection zone, giving the operator the option to neutralise them in a controlled manner to avoid unwanted damage. Its effectiveness has been proven in various environments, consolidating it as a key tool in airspace protection. It stands out for its scalability, which allows it to be adapted to future technologies and operational needs. 
  
Finally, we use our Telefónica Open Gateway APIs to further enhance this solution with advanced network capabilities. Their integration enables the incorporation of useful capabilities such as route planning and connectivity optimisation. This allows them to carry out their operations with less risk and in a more agile manner. Let us tell you more about the benefits of each of our tools:  

• API Population Density Data: obtains dynamic data on the population in a specific area and at a specific time. In this way, the operator can select routes with lower concentrations of people and avoid potential risks even before take-off.
• API Dynamic Airspace Connectivity Data: analyses the level of coverage along the flight plan to plot the most suitable route and avoid points where the signal may weaken. This is a key functionality, ensuring constant communication between control and navigation systems.  
• API Quality on Demand: optimises the quality of service at critical moments when connectivity faces adverse conditions, such as high network saturation situations. In this way, it avoids disconnections with the pilot during the flight and ensures that the image retransmission is of high quality. 

We wanted to push the boundaries and reach much higher. We have already presented drone solutions at other significant events such as Telefónica Innovation Day 2024 but we are convinced that this time we have exceeded our limits, making a strong impression on all Mobile World Congress attendees with the areas we are revolutionising. Discover the most outstanding applications of Open Gateway 5G Drones!  
  
Case 1 | Control of goods in ports  
  
Spanish ports are a key point in the infrastructure and economy of our country. What's more, according to the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, their traffic will exceed 514 million tonnes in 2024. Despite its importance, the logistics sector continues to face major challenges in the control of its goods, due to its size and the difficult-to-reach areas such as the very high cranes it handles.  
  
Innovative technologies such as drones offer greater security control than conventional systems, more effective inspections and even access to areas that are difficult to reach by land. Therefore, the end-to-end solution provided by Telefónica improves protection and logistical optimisation, reducing costs and response times. In addition, our three network APIs complement the service by enhancing route design to minimise risk and ensure connectivity throughout the flight.  

Case 2 | Rural fire responses  
  
Spain has one of the highest fire rates in Europe. Although they were less frequent in 2024 than in the previous year, almost 48,000 hectares were burned. For this reason, international organisations such as the WWF warn of the importance of prevention to prevent these catastrophes and the importance of swift action in the event of an emergency.  
  
As in the previous scenario, UAS can be a powerful tool, identifying hot spots, accessing complex or dangerous locations, and decreasing the reaction time of personnel. The Open Gateway 5G Drones service, with the integration of our standardised tools, offers an efficient way to monitor, control and assess disasters, as well as react in an automated and safer way. In the event of an emergency, authorities must have reliable data on the number of people to quickly assess the severity of the situation and allocate resources appropriately.  

Case 3 | Urban transport of healthcare equipment  
  
Medical supply chains require stringent delivery and distribution conditions. This is because they are constantly exposed to sensitive loads and emergency situations with limited time to act. Today, transport between production sites and hospitals is mainly by road. This is stated in the European Commission's Guide to Good Distribution Practice, which also states that this is detrimental to their agility in urban centres, due to traffic conditions.  
  
Drones offer a new way forward, achieving seamless mobility in congested cities, reduced response times, reliable deliveries in emergency situations and a reduced environmental impact. The solution we showcased in this MWC25 demo enhances this value proposition, with faster and less risky operations, without the need to invest in new infrastructure. In addition, we enrich the service thanks to the Telefónica Open Gateway APIs, enabling it to reach its destination quickly, safely and without risk to the general public.  

Case 4 | Indoor Industry Optimisation  
  
Companies that manage large warehouses, logistics centres and industrial facilities face multiple challenges in managing their inventory: stock control, occupational safety, lack of real-time data, interruption of operations to carry out physical counts...   
  
Our drone-based solution allows automated flights inside warehouses or factories, obtaining information and optimising these operations with a higher accuracy than traditional methods. This system is designed to operate safely indoors, without the need for human intervention, using predefined maps and advanced navigation algorithms that allow it to move efficiently, in addition to identifying products by reading barcodes, RFID tags and artificial vision.   

Mobile World Congress 2025 is an opportunity to learn about the next steps in the world of connectivity and technology. As we do every year, those of us in the industry are revealing the latest in innovation and cutting-edge solutions and advanced ideas that will shape the future. If you were unable to attend, we hope to see you at the next edition. In the meantime, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter, to keep up to date with all our developments, the latest news from the sector and upcoming events in which we participate. Don't miss out!