PORTLAND, Ore. Skyward, a Verizon company, and UPS Flight Forward today announced collaborative efforts to deliver retail products with drones connected to Verizon 4G LTE, as well as 5G testing and delivery integration. The companies aim to deliver retail products via coupled drones at The Villages in Florida.
‘We need the ability to drive and support multiple drones, flying simultaneously, sent from a centralized location, operating in a safe and secure environment. To do this on a scale, with Verizon and Skyward, we need the power of 5G, ”said Carol B. Tomé, CEO of UPS.
“We’re just seeing how the power of 5G Ultra Wideband will change the way businesses work,” said Rima Qureshi, chief strategy officer at Verizon. “By partnering with UPS and other innovative companies, we can learn from each other’s expertise and work together to create solutions that can help the world move forward.
In 2020, Verizon, UPS Flight Forward and Skyward 4G began testing LTE in delivery bumblebees to demonstrate cellular reliability and performance at height.
“The low delay of 5G and edge computing is ideal for monitoring air traffic in and out of a busy logistics hub, especially those using mixed fleets of autonomous vehicles such as drones, trucks and aircraft,” said Mariah Scott, Skyward president , said. “This year we are going to continue the collaboration with UPS by testing 5G Ultra Wideband integrations to connect the air.”
UPS has operated more than 3,800 successful drone delivery flights since the inception of UPS Flight Forward, its drone delivery company certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2019. during the global pandemic, it gave high-risk seniors a quick and contactless delivery option to stay healthy at home.
“With the help of Verizon’s 5G and Skyward, we will be able to transform the delivery experience – more personal, more on demand and with the same safety, efficiency and reliability that our customers trust today.” says Bala Ganesh, vice president, advanced technology group at UPS.