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Reading time: 10 minutes
What You Will Learn
- How single-link drone connectivity introduces critical risks in BVLOS operations.
- Why a multilink approach, combining cellular, satellite, private radio and SDR, is essential for true resilience.
- The role of data duplication, splitting and prioritisation in ensuring low-latency control and high security.
- Best practices for security and failover design, ensuring continuous control, data integrity and encryption across links.
Table of Contents
Why is BVLOS the Future, and Why Does Connectivity Matter?
The future of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) depends heavily on their ability to operate beyond the operator’s visual line of sight (BVLOS). The rise of BVLOS drone operations unlocks a world of possibilities, from efficient package delivery to DFR (Drone First Responders) and life-saving search and rescue missions. However, BVLOS missions, often conducted in complex environments, demand uninterrupted and resilient connectivity. This blog post will explore a novel multilink communication approach and discover how platforms like Elsight’s Halo change unmanned BVLOS communications.
The Problem With Traditional Drone Communications: One Link, One Failure Point
Traditionally, drone operations have relied on single connectivity – line-of-sight point-to-point or commercial network communication – for command and control (C2) and video transmissions. This setup struggles in areas with obstructions, signal loss, potential jamming or interference, and across vast stretches of remote terrain.
BVLOS missions demand “connection confidence” – a level of reliability that can only be achieved through high availability, reliable redundancy, and robust security. Furthermore, for commercial drones, these requirements must be encapsulated in a small form factor (Size, Weight, and Power) that fit commercial drones’ size and power restrictions. Relying solely on a single communication link is risky. By diversifying communication channels, Elsight can significantly enhance resilience against interference, disruptions, and environmental obstacles.
“Relying on a single communication system during BVLOS missions is impractical.” – Roee Kashi, Elsight’s co-founder and CTO
The Multilink Approach: Harnessing the Entire Radio Spectrum
The multilink approach overcomes the single point of failure limitation by aggregating various communication channels—such as cellular networks, satellite communications, and point-to-point radios—into a unified and resilient connection. The multilink approach ensures uninterrupted data transmission and control, even in the most challenging environments, by offering redundancy and flexibility of diversified frequency bands and technologies.
A multilink communication platform can leverage various networks and spectrums, such as:
- Public cellular infrastructure (LTE and 5G) across several carriers and frequency bands
- Private tactical networks, such as Lockheed Martin’s 5G.MIL
- Mesh Software-Defined Radio (SDR) networks
- Long-range P2P radios for low-bitrate communication
- LEO SAT (Low Earth Orbit) / GEO SAT (Geostationary Orbit) Satellites provide connectivity beyond cellular reach, such as Viasat (GEO) and Iridium and Starlink(LEO).
- Emerging Technologies like LTE/5G over LEO satellites open further possibilities for communication channels, technology, and frequency redundancy.
For example, when operating a drone remotely within the US, Elsight’s Halo BVLOS communication platform can leverage the extensive cellular coverage of T-Mobile’s 5G network, Verizon’s LTE network, AT&T’s network, and satellite communications. This versatility can extend even further with the addition of point-to-point SDR (Software-defined Radio) connectivity and private networks.
Pro Tip:
Use multi-carrier SIMs or eSIMs (if available) to access several cellular networks simultaneously. That gives you not just redundancy but better geographic coverage. TEAL’s eSIM solution is an example of a way to simplify global, multi-carrier connectivity.
This variety of communication options creates a robust web of connectivity options, minimizing transmission loss due to link failure and supporting a successful mission completion.
Multilink communication is like having multiple GPS routes to your destination. If one road is blocked, you’re automatically steered to the best alternative route without losing your way.
The Secret Sauce: Logical Connectivity Layer for Seamless Operation
Managing multiple communication channels is a challenge. Elsight’s Halo BVLOS connectivity platform addresses this problem by creating a logical connectivity layer, merging all active links into a single, unified pipe. Even if individual physical links fail, the switching happens behind the scenes – it’s completely invisible to your drone’s control system and application.
How it works:
- Halo continuously monitors each data path’s performance, tracking metrics like latency, packet loss and signal strength.
- Using predictive modelling (based on context like location and time), it dynamically reroutes traffic. When a link starts to degrade, Halo shifts data to a better-performing channel.
- It prioritises traffic intelligently: high-priority data is routed over the fastest and most stable link, while less urgent traffic is pushed through more available paths.
- The result? Seamless failover, minimal latency and uninterrupted control and data flow.
For instance, traffic can seamlessly transition from a public network to a point-to-point SDR. The transition is entirely transparent to the application layer.
Elsight’s Halo in Action
During the initial drone connection to the Drone Network Operating Center (DNOC), Halo initiates a control channel per each available datalink to measure its performance metrics, like latency, packet loss, and network congestion. Halo monitors these metrics in real-time, dynamically adjusting traffic load across the links to ensure the most reliable connection.
Traffic is duplicated and split into discrete packets to enhance data integrity and redundancy further. These packets are then securely transmitted via a VPN pipeline to the DNOC, where they are reassembled upon arrival. Data duplication ensures high connection confidence via robust redundancy mechanism. For example, the aerial Halo sends one copy of the telemetry and video via LTE/5G and another copy travels through a parallel link via PTP SDR or private 5G to the ground Halo in the Ground Control Station (GCS) that de-duplicates and normalizes the streams.
The data split across multiple prioritized paths within the logical pipe ensures low latency, and high availability while adding an extra layer of security. If one channel is intercepted, data cannot be interpreted due to packet distribution across multiple links.
Replicating data streams across multiple networks and then consolidating them at the control center secures connectivity and prevents disruptions at the application layer.
Elsight Halo for Reliable BVLOS Drone Operations
Elsight’s Halo is an innovative multilink communication solution engineered for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone missions. Halo ensures real-time drone control and data transmission in all environments by merging multiple communication channels into a robust, secure, and flexible logical pipe. Halo addresses the core challenges of BVLOS communication through:
- Multilink technology – Halo aggregates diverse communication paths into a single virtual connection and manages seamless network handoffs to maintain continuous drone control.
- AI-powered network transitions and redundancy – AI-driven performance metrics of each data path in a specific time and location optimize the traffic load. Network priority configuration enables smart switching among the links to minimize latency and costs as circumstances change. Halo’s built-in redundancy keeps drone missions on track even during weak or fluctuating signals.
- Data Duplication – Duplicating critical data streams across different networks and de-duplicating them at the control center ensures high availability and enhanced security for a stable connection even in challenging conditions.
- Low-latency communication – Prioritizing the lowest latency channels keeps data and video flowing with minimal lag.
- Secured transmission – Advanced encryption and packet-splitting across several channels minimize the risk of data interception and control hijacking.
- Automatic mapping – Halo automatically maps the cellular signal levels of all carriers in an operating area so drone operators can plan the best flight course based on multiple connectivity metrics. The accumulated signal heat map includes position, UAV angle, the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), Reference Signals Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signals Received Quality (RSRQ), and all the information available from the different modem SIM cards.
- Compact design – Halo’s small size, lightweight, and power-efficient design allows easy integration into various drone platforms, maintaining flight performance without adding significant weight or energy consumption.
Conclusion
BVLOS drone operations represent the next frontier for unmanned aerial systems, but without truly resilient and intelligent communications, that potential remains out of reach. Elsight’s Halo platform tears down the limitations of single-link connectivity by weaving together multiple networks, cellular, satellite and P2P radios, into a unified connection that adapts in real time. By doing so, Halo delivers the connection confidence mission-critical operations demand: low latency, redundancy, seamless failover and secure data transport. Whether you’re inspecting infrastructure in remote terrain, conducting lifesaving reconnaissance or operating a long-range delivery service, Halo makes sure your drone stays connected. With this kind of multilink robustness, operators can confidently scale their BVLOS operations – unlocking smarter, safer and more efficient missions than ever before.
Contact us to bring unmatched connection confidence to your drone missions.
Key Takeaways
- Traditional single-link connectivity is prone to failure in BVLOS drone operations, as it struggles with interference, environmental obstructions, and coverage.
- Multilink connectivity combines various communication paths (cellular, satellite, private networks) into a unified and resilient connectivity, offering redundancy for ensuring drones stay connected even if one or more links fail.
- The logical connectivity layer creates a seamless pipe, handling transitions across networks to prevent transmission interruptions, maintain control, and enhance data integrity during BVLOS missions.
- Elsight’s Halo multilink BVLOS communication proactively monitors and adjusts network performance in real-time, prioritizing the strongest link to guarantee connection stability and low latency.
- By encrypting and splitting data across channels, Elsight’s Halo minimizes the risks of interception and jamming.
FAQs
1. What regulatory approvals or certifications are required to use BVLOS flights, and does Halo help meet those requirements?
BVLOS flights usually require aviation authority approval, supported by a risk assessment and evidence of reliable command-and-control, Remote ID compliance where required, and other safety mitigations. Regulators increasingly expect resilient communications for BVLOS approvals. Elsight’s Halo helps support these requirements through multilink redundancy, automatic handoffs, secure connectivity, and detailed operational performance monitoring.
2. How does Halo mipact drone SWaP and flight endurance?
Halo is designed as a compact, low SWaP connectivity module for integration across a wide range of UAVs, UGVs, and autonomous robotic platforms. The device weighs under 100 grams, measures approximately 87 × 69 × 19 mm, and consumes roughly 6.5 watts of power, minimizing impact on flight endurance and payload capacity.
3. Does Halo have multi-carrier SIMs for global coverage?
Halo is carrier agnostic and supports public and private LTE and 5G networks across multiple operators worldwide. The platform also supports LEO and GEO SATCOM providers, as well as additional communication networks. Halo can operate with multi-carrier SIMs to improve redundancy, roaming flexibility, and global BVLOS coverage.
4. How does Halo prioritize and route latency-sensitive control traffic versus high bandwidth video?
Halo continuously monitors network quality, including congestion, packet loss, and signal strength across all active links. The platform dynamically prioritizes latency-sensitive command and control traffic while efficiently routing high bandwidth ISR or video streams via configurable Quality of Service policies. Actual latency depends on the available networks and operating environment.
5. What encryption and anti-jamming measures does Halo use to secure command and control and video streams?
Halo secures communications using AES-256-CBC encryption, VPN tunneling, multilink redundancy, and data splitting across multiple networks. Traffic is fragmented and distributed across multiple independent communication paths, reducing vulnerability to interception, spoofing, jamming, and single-point failures. The platform dynamically reroutes traffic away from degraded or disrupted links to maintain operational continuity in contested or interference-prone environments.
