The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
5G innovation coming to unmanned aircraft testing corridor between Syracuse and Rome
Rome, N.Y. — Governor Kathy Hochul announced last month that the MITRE Engenuity Open Generation 5G Consortium will bring 5G to the New York State 50-mile unmanned aircraft systems corridor between Syracuse and Rome.
“Our drone corridor being selected for the launch of the nation’s first 5G unmanned aircraft systems testing range further positions our state -specifically the Central New York and the Mohawk Valley region -as the global leader in the market for this cutting-edge technology,” Hochul said. “Through our continued investment in the drone corridor, we are strengthening and growing our regional economies for generations to come.”
NUAIR, a New York-based nonprofit organization that provides expertise in unmanned aircraft systems and is a member of Open Generation, manages New York’s 50-mile unmanned aircraft systems corridor and is playing a vital role in advancing 5G innovation in unmanned aircraft systems, also known as UAS. With coordination from NUAIR, the corridor will include an experimentation hub with more than 100 square miles dedicated to 5G beyond-visual-line-of-site testing and long-range flight paths -a capability critical to the commercialization of safe and secure unmanned aircraft systems, according to Hochul’s office.
Hochul reports that New York State made a $30 million investment in 2016 to develop the 50mile flight traffic management system between Syracuse and Griffiss International Airport in Rome. In total, the state has reportedly invested nearly $70 million over the past five years to advance the unmanned aircraft systems industry in these regions.
Rome is home to the New York State Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site, one of only seven Faa-designated unmanned aircraft systems test sites in the
United States, according to state officials. It is owned by Oneida County and managed by NUAIR.
The test site is part of the ever-growing 3,500acre Griffiss Business and Technology Park, which is home to a multitude of high-tech, world-leading companies in cyber security, quantum computing, manufacturing, and more. Sky Dome will complement the test site at Griffiss, officials say, providing yearround, indoor testing of advanced drone technologies, including artificial intelligence-based flight controls and autonomous swarms of small drones.
New York receiving the 5G technology for its drone corridor represents a new milestone for the sector’s continued development in the state. Within this corridor, strategic investments are accelerating industry growth by supporting emerging uses in key industries, including agriculture and forest management, transportation and logistics, media and film development, utilities and infrastructure, and public safety, according to Hochul’s office.
Rome Mayor Jacqueline Izzo said, “The selection of the Griffiss UAS test site to establish 5G capability along the 50-mile drone corridor is yet another example that the financial commitments that have been made by New York State and local governments to advance this technology are paying off. NUAIR and its partners have proven time and time again that they are capable of carrying out large scale UAS research and development throughout the corridor, which is making a difference in the advancement of UAS throughout the United States and the addition of 5G will widen those R&D capabilities not only at the Griffiss test site, but throughout the 50mile drone corridor to Syracuse.”