Deliveries by Drone Made Possible with Peplink Solutions

A drone-based delivery of freight service needed a fast and reliable connection for their fleet of drones. Originally delivering take-out food and beverages in Australia, this company has now expanded to the United States, testing their first ever commercial store-to-door delivery service in a major US metropolitan area.

Challenge

Delivery-by-drone has gained recognition rapidly in the US and Australia. Traffic planning concerns and climate warming issues have derived from the increasing amount of congestion. Lifestyle changes coerced by the recent pandemic has increased the need for automated delivery, along with other forms of socially distanced measures. As retail and consumer behavior continues to grow, the demand for stronger connectivity to power these solutions is increasing.

To power this fleet of drones, reliable connectivity was needed, as well as a solution able to withstand all forms of harsh weather conditions. If the connection is weak, the drones could lose command signal and be unable to reach the destination. This can pose a risk to citizens, as the drones will be flying in a densely populated metropolitan area.

Solution

The PDX, a portable ruggedized quad-cellular router was deployed. This easy-to-use device was perfect for a number of reasons. With its four cellular modems able to connect to different carriers, the PDX was able to provide constant connectivity. Bandwidth bonding could seamlessly transfer the drone data back and forth, including video footage and command data.

This solution was chosen as it can withstand the harshest of environments. It is built tough, and rated at 7.7G vibration resistance by the military MIL–STD-810H standard. It can also withstand wide -40° to 113°F (-40° to 45°C) temperature ranges, making it able to combat adverse weather conditions.

To completely utilize the power of the PDX, a power ethernet distribution panel, outdoor switches and outdoor access points were linked to the device. This added additional Ethernet ports and Wi-Fi signals, allowing them to scale the network and provide strong enough Wi-Fi strength for the command signals at the base stations of the drones.

Result

The PDX was able to successfully supply a strong enough connection for the fleet of drones to complete their deliveries. This can generate a wide variety of benefits for businesses, consumers and society.

Successful drone-deliveries will reduce future traffic congestion, creating less pollution and safer roads. They will also save time for consumers, and provide great access to services in lower-income communities. The strong connectivity through the PDX can help businesses benefit from the reduction of Internet downtime by helping them increase sales through improved delivery options. This can then facilitate new business models and create a greater market reach.

Only the PDX is strong enough to power a fleet of drones. It can adapt to harsh environments, without a compromise on strong bandwidth availability. 

Deployment

PDX

  • Portable, Rapid Deployment SD-WAN Router
  • Rapid Deployment for Public Safety
  • Instant Connectivity for Temporary Sites