NextNav, Tiami partner on counter-drone technology

RESTON, Va.—NextNav has partnered with Tiami Networks to evaluate 5G-powered sensing technologies designed to detect unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and enhance airspace awareness for critical infrastructure and national security applications.

The companies said the collaboration will focus on integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) capabilities that leverage NextNav's terrestrial 5G Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) network to provide long-range sensing while delivering positioning and timing services.

As part of the effort, NextNav's 5G PNT Network in Santa Clara County, Calif., will serve as a testbed for evaluating 900 MHz-based sensing capabilities and use cases, including counter-UAS detection and airspace awareness.

"NextNav is excited to partner with Tiami Networks as it continues to evaluate how 5G-powered sensing can support counter-UAS detection and other mission-critical airspace and ground-based applications," said David Gell, vice president of business development at NextNav. "The need for longer range situational awareness has never been more urgent as drones continue to threaten large-scale events, critical infrastructure and government and military facilities including airports."

Tiami Networks will contribute its expertise in integrated sensing and communications to the initiative.

"By combining NextNav's low-band 5G capabilities with Tiami's expertise in integrated sensing and communications, we have an opportunity to evaluate scalable, wide-area UAS detection and other mission-critical sensing applications," said Dr. Amitav Mukherjee, CEO of Tiami Networks.

The companies said results from the collaboration will help assess the performance and applicability of 5G-powered sensing technologies for critical infrastructure protection and national security use cases. 

Related: Stakeholders ready to ‘push, push, push’ against NextNav petition