Light Reading Predicts the Future of Global Communications: The Drone Revolution
New trend may destroy existing telecom operator business models
NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Stephen Saunders, founder and CEO of Light Reading (www.lightreading.com), the market-leading online community for the global communications sector, today published the column "Forget the Internet, Brace for Skynet". In this column, Saunders predicts that the future of global communications will be dominated by a drone revolution, consisting of a global network of thousands of ultra-high altitude solar-powered drones, equipped with next-gen wireless equipment, delivering broadband capacity to the world.
Saunders calls the drone network "Skynet," after the antagonist in the Terminator movies, and predicts that the drones could be equally destructive to existing telecom operator business models.
Saunders says it will take two decades before the drone communications revolution is complete, and that many significant technology milestones must be accomplished first:
- Compared to today's technology, Skynet drones will need to be lighter, and carry higher-capacity wireless gear
- They will need to be equipped with reliable, hyper efficient solar tech
- Low power (30 – 35 watt), high-capacity (gigabit plus), high-frequency (8 – 24 GHz) technology – based on inexpensive WiFi radio technology -- must be moved from the lab into production.
- Radios will need to be built to withstand extreme temperatures, work with GPS, and act as a two-way transceiver to connect back to the Internet on the ground.
"Drones are fascinating technology but the most interesting part of this revolution is not related to technology, but to the people, and the companies they work for, as well as the regulatory/legal questions surrounding the issue of wireless spectrum allocation, and who owns the air rights," Saunders says.
To read the complete column, visit: http://www.lightreading.com/iot/drones/forget-the-internet-brace-for-skynet/a/d-id/711404
As the leading authority in the telecom industry, Light Reading plans to be the central point of information on this emerging market. Later this year Light Reading will launch a new site about drone communications called Light Droning (www.lightdroning.com). Also, in February 2015, Light Reading editor Dan Jones, who predicted the clouds comms revolution in 2005, and Saunders will host a conference on the future of drone communications in San Diego, Calif., called DroneComm 2015. Speaking and sponsorship opportunities are available for this conference. For more information contact: [email protected].
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About Light Reading
Light Reading (www.lightreading.com) combines its research-led online communities and targeted events portfolio to help those in the global communications industry make informed decisions. Lightreading.com is the ultimate source for telecom analysis for more than 350,000 subscribers each month, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content, and reputation. Light Reading produces targeted communications events and focused one-day conferences each year for cable, mobile, and wireline executives across five continents.
Media Contact:
Meryl Franzman
Beyond Words Communications Inc.
[email protected]
617 739 1769
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