I got this email from Skyward today, who was excited about the future of 5G and drones.
The new drone rules are about money and commercial use of autonomous drones. DJI is all in on it, which is why they supported this and I believe they are going to eventually abandon consumers. How many consumers are going to pay enough to add remote id to their existing or future drones. It's not gonna be free. Prices going up will push the small operators out of the business, which is what the big guys want...0-400 feet.
Here's one quote:
"There’s just one problem. Without a system for universal air traffic management – which would allow air traffic controllers and law enforcement to understand where drones are flying and for what purpose – utilities, telecommunications companies, engineering firms, and freight carriers can’t safely deploy autonomous drones, even if they are connected to 5G.
Last September, I testified before the House Subcommittee on Aviation to help our representatives understand the technical and regulatory updates we need to realize the transformational power of drones. Part of the solution is a requirement for something called remote identification – a “digital license plate” for drones – whether flown for fun or commercially. Remote ID for drones would allow air traffic regulators and law enforcement to identify the pilot or operator of a drone that isn’t complying with regulations.
As a concept, remote ID is like the actual license plates that law enforcement use to identify the owner of a motor vehicle, but it’s most similar to the IP addresses that identify us when we connect to the Internet.
In a Washington Post
op-ed last summer, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen wrote, “Without congressional action, the U.S. government will remain unable to identify, track and mitigate weaponized or dangerous drones.”
Congress agreed, and in January the FAA began the process of creating a pilot program with industry partners to test remote ID technologies. The FAA expects to announce remote ID rules later this year."
Homeland security even made it about making the sky safe from the bad guys, even though like guns, only the law-abiding of us will follow the laws....