MOU for Military Telecommunications Relay Drone Development with SKT, Funzin, and Others… Expanding Operational Radius and Flight Time

Development of drone solutions with Funzin, Conan Technology, Contela, and Factory
Expanding drone operating range and time through low-frequency utilization and handover technology
Applications of advanced technologies such as wireless networks, AI, satellite communication, and 5G

SK Telecom announced on the 15th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Funzin, Conan Technology, Contela, and Factory to develop telecommunication relay drones that will expand the operational radius of military drones.

At the signing ceremony held at SK Telecom’s Namsan headquarters in Seoul, attendees included Na Kyung-hwan, Head of SKT's Enterprise Solutions Division; Kim Jung-hoon, Head of Funzin’s Business Strategy Division; Kim Kyu-hoon, Head of Conan Technology’s Defense AI Division; Kim Tae-yeon, Head of the MTS Business Division; and Kim Tae-hoon, CEO of Factory.

A communication relay drone serves as a relay platform that connects wireless communications in areas where connectivity is limited, enabling attack and reconnaissance drones to expand their operating range. Currently, the military uses communication relay drones that rely on joint 5G frequencies. However, due to the high-frequency characteristics of the band used, the operational radius is limited, raising calls for expansion.

The communication relay drones developed through this agreement will utilize lower-frequency bands such as 800 MHz from commercial networks. This is expected to significantly increase radio reach and ensure a stable operating radius even in urban environments with many obstacles, thanks to stronger diffraction performance.

In particular, stability is expected to improve by applying handover technology that alternates operations between multiple relay drones. Even if one communication relay drone is shot down, attack and reconnaissance drones will still be able to connect through another relay drone.

Each participating company will contribute its core technologies. SK Telecom is responsible for wireless network technology, handover, and real-time video control. It plans to deliver real-time drone operation footage to rear operators by combining low-frequency transmission with its real-time video control system, T Livecaster.

Funzin, a defense vertical AI company, will oversee drone radio quality measurement and AI technologies. Conan Technology plans to cooperate through edge-based tactical equipment. Contela, a mobile communication equipment company, will handle satellite communication–based mobile base stations, while Factory will contribute mini-PC-based joint 5G cores and communication equipment for specialized 5G networks.

The participating companies each bring unique technological strengths. SK Telecom and Factory secured a 5G communication equipment solution through a National Information Society Agency (NIA) project in 2022. Funzin holds a patent for drone radio-quality measurement and is actively pursuing AI-based military projects.

Conan Technology has demonstrated its military thermal power management system and plans to commercialize it as edge-type tactical equipment. Through a Korea Forest Service project last year, Contela secured a satellite-based mobile base station solution.

“With this business agreement, we expect that the operational radius of military drones will be greatly expanded by implementing communication relay drones based on each company’s specialized solutions,” said Kim Kyung-deok, Head of SKT’s Enterprise Business Division. “We will continue making efforts to strengthen defense capabilities by applying commercial network technology to military communications.”

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Conan Technology has demonstrated its military thermal power management system and plans to commercialize it as edge-type tactical equipment. Through a Korea Forest Service project last year, Contela secured a satellite-based mobile base station solution.

“With this business agreement, we expect that the operational radius of military drones will be greatly expanded by implementing communication relay drones based on each company’s specialized solutions,” said Kim Kyung-deok, Head of SKT’s Enterprise Business Division. “We will continue making efforts to strengthen defense capabilities by applying commercial network technology to military communications.”