Deutsche Telekom Prepares Anti-Drone Defence System

German telecoms giant Deutsche Telekom has unveil plans to launch a drone defence system designed to guard airports, critical infrastructure, car test tracks and stadiums.

The system is in response to the growing number of drones being uses for consumer and commercial purposes, which raise concerns over privacy in sensitive areas and potential collisions with aircraft when the drones encroach upon their flight paths and no-fly zones.

“Drones are a security issue for critical infrastructure such as airports, stadia, autotracks, or major events,” a spokesman told German newspaper Welt.

Defending against drones

There appears to be a rising demands for systems that can take down drones if they drift into areas of the sky they are not meant to be in, that do not result in people taking pot shots at them with air rifles or heavier ordnance.

Such systems are also arguably more practical than using trained eagles to take down drones, something Dutch police have been trailing.

Welt reported that car makers have requested the anti-drone system for use on test tracks to prevent people from using drones to capture photographs of their vehicle prototypes.

Football club FC Bayern Munich is looking for a means to fend of drone during it matches, having reportedly approached defence group Rheinmetall to discuss the potential purchase of an electromagnetic anti-drone system.

Deutsche Telekom has yet to publicly showcase its anti-drone technology, but Reuters reported that it had invited drone defence firms to a demonstration of its technology back in July.

It is likely such a drone defence system will rely upon electromagnetic pulses to knock out the electrics of invading drones, there by downing them without the use of dangerous projectiles. However, there has been little information for the dangers of taking down drones in public areas, whereby the falling machines could end up hitting people on the ground.

Deutsche Telekom is not alone in exploring anti-drone systems, with Airbus having partnered with Dedrone to work on long-rage sensors and jamming technologies to protect airports from public piloted drones.

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