China’s Huawei Technologies and Unifly have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate in the field of unmanned traffic management (UTM) systems. The MoU covers research and development and a joint market approach to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, or drone) management.

Huawei has developed a technology to identify and locate drone users based on the operator's SIM card. Huawei’s technology, combined with Unifly’s UTM platform, enables air navigation service providers to integrate drones into an airspace system. Unifly’s UTM platform uses cellular technology to connect official agencies to drone operators, making it possible to not only follow drones in real time, but also to determine who is flying, where they are flying, and whether they are permitted to be in that airspace.

Aligned with initiatives such as U-space, which supports the EU’s aviation strategy and regulatory framework to enable dense drone air traffic, Unifly’s platform also includes digital technologies for flight planning, airspace management, live tracking, and dynamic situational awareness. Huawei’s SPO Lab estimates the global UAS market will exceed $100 billion over the next five years.