SK Telecom (SKT) has teamed up with four local tech firms to develop a communication relay drone designed to expand the operational radius of South Korea’s military drones.
Under a recently signed memorandum of understanding, Funjin, Conan Technology, Contela, and Practory will each bring specialized capabilities and perform core functions for the project.
Funjin will apply its AI expertise to enhance drone-to-drone communications, while Conan will work on producing edge tactical equipment to enable faster data processing across the network.
Contela will manage the relay drone’s mobile terminals using satellites as the foundation, and Practory will create the actual communications equipment.
SKT will lead the development of wireless links and live video transmission, using frequency bands that support longer-distance signals and real-time visuals for operators.
“With this business agreement, we expect to significantly expand the operational radius of drones by implementing military communication relay drones based on each company’s unique solutions,” said SKT Head of Enterprise Business Division Kim Kyung-deok.
Improving Current Systems
The South Korea military already operates a communication relay drone, but it uses a 5G frequency band that limits how far drones can fly from their controllers.
The new system will use handover technology to maintain connectivity even if one relay drone is lost or shut down, ensuring attack and reconnaissance drones can continue their missions.
SKT also plans to integrate lower frequency bands found in commercial networks to expand transmission range and maintain connectivity even in dense urban environments.
“We will further strive to strengthen national defense capabilities by applying commercial network technology to military communications,” said Kim.
