Taiwan to develop drone base stations to strengthen network resilience

台灣將發展無人機基地台以增強網路韌性

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Digital Affairs will partner with domestic institutes and telecoms to develop drone base stations powered by hydrogen batteries to enhance mobile communications and network resilience.

Chen Wen-liang (陳玟良), deputy director-general of the ministry’s resource management department, said power failures and network damage cause most outages in Taiwan. During typhoons or earthquakes, road blockages can prevent mobile base stations from reaching affected areas, resulting in gaps in signal coverage, per Economic Daily News.

The ministry said the UAVs used for the base stations can fly at altitudes of up to 20 km and cover a range of 20 km, making them suitable for areas with disrupted communications. The drones can be deployed in about 30 minutes and can carry up to 50 kg of equipment.

The Industrial Technology Research Institute will develop hydrogen batteries to replace lithium batteries and extend drone endurance. It will also work with Taiwan Tech and Taipei Tech to increase the UAV payload capacity to 75 kg.

The ministry added that it will partner with Taiwan’s three telecom operators to develop modular communications equipment that can be carried by drones without additional upgrades. Chen said the government aims to deploy the UAV-based base stations in coordinated swarms.

The ministry said it aims to lead the development of the technology and promote the use of UAVs in communications. It noted key challenges such as heavy payload requirements, long-duration flight, and integration of communications systems.

Component design for the drone base stations has been completed, the ministry said. Assembly of the base stations and hydrogen batteries is scheduled for April to May, followed by phased testing from June to September. All R&D is expected to be completed by October, when the results will be publicly released.

In 2024, the ministry developed Taiwan’s first tethered high-altitude balloon for use as a base station. The balloons can carry communications equipment up to 800 meters above ground and provide signal coverage within a range of 11 km. Powered from the ground via a tether, the system can support continuous communications for up to 14 days.