Drone technology and services provider DroneUp is partnering with Walmart on the first multisite commercial drone delivery operations for eligible Walmart customers, said the companies. Flights began Monday from three Walmart locations in Northwest Arkansas, operating 12 hours daily, seven days a week, to deliver items by air in 30 minutes or less, they said. When Walmart invested in DroneUp earlier this year, “we envisioned a drone delivery operation that could be quickly executed and replicated across multiple stores," said Tom Ward, Walmart U.S. senior vice president-last mile. “Opening our first hub within months of our initial concept showcases DroneUp's ability to safely execute drone delivery operations with speed.” Initial customer feedback at the first site in Farmington, Arkansas, has been “great,” and Walmart looks forward “to opening additional locations," he said.

Indian defense contractor Bharat Electronics is designing and producing smart mailboxes for secure drone delivery under a worldwide distribution agreement with DroneDek, it said Tuesday. The DroneDek secure mailbox is said to accept delivery via robotic, unmanned driverless, aerial drone or conventional means. The agreement pairs DroneDek's IP with BEL’s engineering, manufacturing, and deployment. Initial discussions call for BEL to buy up to $50 million in DroneDek products with delivery expected by Q2.

The Aerospace Industries Association urged FCC action on rules allowing use of 5030-5091 MHz for drones (see 2110130044), in a call with Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology staff. It's "the only spectrum in the U.S. dedicated exclusively” to unmanned aircraft system command and control, said an AIA filing posted Tuesday in RM-11798. AIA and members discussed their “interest in working with the Commission to develop a flexible, scalable regulatory framework that provides access to the C-band for both near-term and future-state operations,” it said. Aura Networks, Collins Aerospace, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Honeywell and Lockheed Martin participated.

NTIA raised concerns about use of 5030-5091 MHz by drones within the National Radio Quiet Zone, in comments on behalf of the National Science Foundation. NTIA said it previously clarified that the scope of services “should be limited to the relevant allocation of aeronautical mobile (route) service (AM(R)S) communications.” NTIA said that alone won’t address all concerns. “We accordingly would recommend that additional criteria be developed, should this proceeding continue, to minimize … impact to particular radio astronomy sites, especially from low-altitude operations,” said the filing, posted Friday in docket RM-11798. Use of the band for drones has general support (see 2110130044).

The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) asked the FCC to act on rules allowing use of 5030-5091 MHz by drones, in comments posted Wednesday in RM-11798. Others stressed dynamic spectrum access in the band. The FCC initially took comment on the band in 2019, responding to a request by AIA (see 1912270039). In August, the Wireless Bureau asked for comments for a record refresh (see 2108230034). “The record overwhelmingly demonstrates support for permanent access to the 5030-5091 MHz band to provide [unmanned aircraft system] command and control,” AIA said. “AIA agrees with the Bureau that the time is ripe to address the technical, operational, and regulatory questions that AIA’s Petition poses.” The UAS industry needs to "access the entire band as soon as practicable" and the regulatory regime should be "appropriate for aviation safety spectrum,” Boeing said. It wants to “condition license eligibility for UAS operators on use of certificated pilots,” under a “dynamic frequency assignment model that prioritizes efficiency” and no "altitude restrictions.” The band is “central to successful domestic/international UAS development and advancement, particularly for larger UAS” operating in FAA-controlled airspace, said Aviation Spectrum Resources. It supports a “flexible spectrum access model developed and guided by the end user community in conjunction with the FAA.” Federated Wireless said its spectrum access system (SAS) technology “can dynamically assign any number of bands for UAS communications, depending on the mission and the needs of the UAS and the operator, including the 5030-5091 MHz band." SAS systems can "provide authoritative and virtually real-time decisions on requests to transmit or assign usage rights, enforce the use of authorized devices, and monitor spectrum assignments and, in some cases, actual usage,” the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance said. The Commercial Drone Alliance also supported a rulemaking.

Electric utilities, public safety and aviation companies support Aura Network Systems and A2G Communications' request for a rulemaking on expanding use of air-ground radiotelephone service (Agras) channels between 454.675-454.975 MHz and 459.675-459.975 MHz for voice and data communications, including by drones (see 2109230049). Comments were posted Friday in RM-11912. “Availability and use of spectrum” is “an important factor” in utilities’ use of drones: the Edison Electric Institute said. Agras “propagation characteristics, bandwidth, and lack of other incumbents makes it well suited for command and control and nonpayload communications at low altitudes and a cost-effective nationwide coverage,” EEI said. “It’s understandable that much of the FCC’s attention is focused on spectrum bands with the ability to deliver broadband capabilities to consumers,” the Enterprise Wireless Alliance commented: “EWA encourages the Commission also to devote appropriate resources to proceedings such as this that promise to retool an historically underutilized band.” The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council and the Aerospace Industries Association also urged a rulemaking. Aura and A2G urge action in a Friday filing not yet posted by our deadline. “Significant market demand exists for the modern data services that can be supported on AURA’s network,” they said: “While the bandwidth limitations in the 450 MHz AGRAS band make the spectrum unsuited for commercial broadband data services" it's "ideal for serving aviation subscribers with sound and data.”

The Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA) and other groups supported Aura Network Systems and A2G Communications' asking for a rulemaking on expanding use of air-ground radiotelephone service (AGRAS) channels between 454.675-454.975 MHz and 459.675-459.975 MHz for voice and data communications, including by drones (see 2108250035). “The Alliance has previously noted that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to spectrum suitable for UAS, so it is critical that the FCC enable a full range of suitable and available communications technology,” CDA said in a filing posted Thursday in RM-11912. Aura's proposal “can play a critical role in making possible” long-range vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicle operation, said Elroy Air. The University of Maryland Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site said the spectrum is needed to meet its goal of establishing a drone network throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. “Transmission of critical data to UAS via a highly reliable and secure network, as described in the Petition, will be critical if U.S. citizens, businesses, safety agencies and communities -- particularly rural communities -- are to benefit from expanded UAS,” the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma said.

Aerospace Industries Association representatives support a record refresh on use of the 5030-5091 MHz band for unmanned aircraft system controls (see 2108230034), said an AIA filing posted Wednesday in RM-11798. In a call with FCC Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology staff, the group “offered an initial spectrum access proposal that could be launched with minimal oversight to facilitate the immediate deployment of point-to-point link operations,” the filing said: It discussed “operating models … that might accommodate different UAS markets, defined by different UAS missions, that are expected to emerge over time.” AIA seeks a phased-in approach. Aura Networks, Boeing, Collins Aerospace, Honeywell and Lockheed Martin were among companies participating in the briefing.

Comments are due Oct. 12, replies Oct. 25, in RM-11798 on an FCC Wireless Bureau notice seeking to refresh the record on use of the 5030-5091 MHz band by drones (see 2108230034), says Friday's Federal Register.

The FCC sought comment Wednesday on a petition by AURA Network Systems and A2G Communications for a rulemaking on expanding the use of air-ground radiotelephone service (AGRAS) channels between 454.675-454.975 MHz and 459.675-459.975 MHz for voice and data communications, including by drones. The companies said in a petition they hold all the active licenses in the 450 MHz AGRAS band. “While the bandwidth limitations in the 450 MHz AGRAS band make the spectrum unsuited for commercial broadband data services, the band is ideal for serving aviation subscribers with voice and data service,” they said: “The band is particularly well suited” for drone “Control and Non-Payload Communications." Comments are due in 30 days in docket RM-11912, said a Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau notice.