Vodafone has joined forces with Irish drone delivery company Manna to explore how its mobile network can support beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations. The companies recently completed a successful trial at Manna’s testing site in Moorock, where a drone flew two kilometres using Vodafone’s 4G network to transmit flight telemetry data and maintain connectivity throughout the mission.
Despite Manna’s established success in drone delivery—having completed over 165,000 deliveries in Dublin, Helsinki, and North Texas—the partnership with Vodafone addresses a critical challenge: airspace safety and regulatory compliance. Manna’s drones, which can transport packages weighing up to 4 kilograms within a 5 kilometre range, are already operational in areas where local authorities allow limited commercial drone use. However, broader adoption faces complex aviation regulations that vary significantly by region.
In the UK, for example, the Civil Aviation Authority has outlined plans for routine BVLOS drone flights starting in 2027. Until such frameworks are in place, drone companies must navigate inconsistent rules, and potentially costly requirements for onboard navigation systems. This creates financial and operational barriers.
By working with Vodafone, Manna seeks to use existing mobile infrastructure to demonstrate safe, cost-effective solutions for drone tracking and control, potentially easing regulatory concerns. Manna’s CTO Alan Hicks highlighted how Vodafone’s network enhances secure last mile deliveries, while Vodafone’s Anthony Chen emphasized the broader vision of combining terrestrial networks with satellite coverage to manage large fleets of commercial drones across Europe.
Though commercial drone delivery remains a regulatory work in progress, partnerships like this aim to make it more viable by leveraging current technologies to meet future aviation standards.