“That creates a difficult environ-


ment for responsible operators. If companies that follow the process lose opportunities to those that do not, the industry risks drifting towards an ‘ask forgiveness rather than permission’ culture.” Ofcom introduced a drone licence in


2023 allowing use of mobile spectrum with operator approval, with a similar arrangement for satellite services. “We wanted to enable people to


“Te biggest barrier isn't satellites. It's getting capability into service”


The price point is higher here, but smaller satellite terminals are being developed all the time, and the companies behind them understand the demand.” Many mission-critical applications


require several layers of connectivity, including backup positioning and navigation services. This redundancy becomes particularly important where GNSS jamming, spoofing and other cyber threats are plausible. “If a drone loses its link, it becomes a safety risk, which is why satellites provide a vital bridge in these scenarios,” explained Joel Klooster, SVP aircraft operations and safety at satellite operator Viasat. “At the same time, relying solely on standard GPS can also be risky because signals can be jammed or spoofed, but satellite networks can help verify coordinates, with these hybrid positioning systems resulting in a stronger uncrewed sector for all.” Viasat is collecting operational data to support future standards. Regulatory approval and complementary infrastructure are not enough on their own, however. Investment in market-led


32 Advance | Autumn 2026


solutions is ultimately governed by another resource: money. “Commercial viability is equally important [as reliability],” Copley said. “A typical UAVTEK mission can generate around 30GB of data. At fleet scale, data costs become a significant operational consideration. Any provider looking to support drone operations needs both the technical capability and a pricing model that works in the real world.”


The regulatory environment Aviation has spent a century building a regulatory system around safety. Drones have now arrived in that system at speed, frustrating both innovators and policymakers. “BVLOS approvals remain slow,


expensive and difficult to scale,” Copley said. “In some cases, it's easier and more cost-effective to develop and demonstrate capability overseas than in the UK. “UAVTEK has conducted significant


operational activity in places such as Jordan and Ukraine because the route to deployment can be more practical.” UAVTEK says a proposed drone capable of dropping a life preserver was abandoned after hitting a regulatory roadblock. “Another operator carried out a similar mission without seeking permission and ultimately won the business,” Copley recalled.


start to explore these operations,” Percival said. “We now have over one hundred multi-drone licences.” In July 2026, Ofcom proposed opening spectrum around 450MHz for drone control links through three-year fixed-term licences. It also proposed making part of the 5030–5091MHz band available until 2032, allowing organisations to experiment and inform longer-term requirements. “We expect one of these bands, the 5GHz band, to end up harmonised on a global scale for drone usage,” Percival said. “The US, Australia and Canada have done various things in this space, and we’ve based our proposals on existing work to develop global rules. This is where we think we can give the UK a bit of a head start.” The Civil Aviation Authority has also


published its Airspace Architecture Concept of Operations, setting out how routine BVLOS flights could eventually operate alongside crewed aircraft. Its proposed architecture combines


electronic visibility, detect-and-avoid technology, reliable communications, information sharing and digital traffic management capable of coordinating large numbers of flights. It remains a vision rather than a finished operational system, but it makes clear that connectivity will be fundamental to scaling drone use. Klooster argues that scaling


uncrewed aviation will depend on international standards and existing certification and cybersecurity frameworks.


Photo credit: Viasat


SPACE


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