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On Thursday, February 6, 2025, the 58th four-day-long Jizerská 50, a 50-kilometer cross-country ski race, kicked off in the Czech Republic’s Jizera Mountains. What originally started as a friendly race to prepare mountaineers for demanding expeditions has become one of the most popular cross-country ski races for professionals and amateurs, attracting skiers of all ages from around the world. In 1970, a 15-member team that participated in the race tragically died a few months later when the team was buried in an avalanche in Peru. The race has since been dedicated to the lives of the Peru expedition team.

The remoteness that comes with the sport of skiing brings up many safety concerns. Avalanches, like the one that claimed the lives of the Peru expedition team, are not uncommon, as are the challenges of locating stranded or injured skiers. In preparation for this year’s race, Jizerská 50 organizers partnered with Primoco UAV and T-Mobile Czech Republic to establish a new drone program that would provide emergency response services if and when needed. Founded in 2015, Primoco builds drones for military and civil use. They own and operate the Písek Krašovice Airport in Výpadová, Prague.

With their own private airport, the company has the resources to fully test drone capabilities. The resulting product is the Primoco One 150 drone. The drone measures 3.7 meters in length and has a 4.9-meter wingspan. It has a cruising speed of 120 km/h, with a maximum range of 1,800 km and an altitude of 3,300 meters. What truly makes the Primoco One 150 drone unique is its flight endurance, coupled with a payload capacity for a medium-sized drone. With an additional payload of up to 30 kg, the drone can sustain a flight time of 15 hours.

The drone’s standard payload includes what is commonly found on most drones: LiDAR and an array of cameras with infrared and multispectral capabilities. In a first-of-its-kind program in Europe, Primoco has installed T-Mobile’s latest technology onto the Primoco One 150 drone. The technology is a micro mobile BTS (Base Transmission Station) that can boost mobile signal coverage. Weighing about 8 kg, the BTS system easily fits onto the Primoco One 150 drone, allowing the drone to bring critical mobile connectivity to any location, even remote regions.

As Ladislav Semetkovský, CEO of Primoco, explained, deploying drones for crisis management is one of the company’s primary goals. “Unmanned technologies enable rapid deployment in places where it is needed, and we see many opportunities for similar deployments in the Czech Republic, be it large-scale fires, tornadoes, or floods,” he said. Mr. Semetkovský continued by saying, “Co-operation with T-Mobile fits perfectly into this system, as communication in affected areas is one of the key services that must be provided in the event of an emergency. Together with T-Mobile specialists, we integrated a new generation BTS station into our aircraft and verified the capabilities of this solution during a series of multiple-hour test flights. The entire system can be deployed anywhere in the European Union, as our aircraft fully complies with European regulations and the BTS payload does not affect the key parameters of its operation and safety.”

Mr. Semetkovský also pointed out that the drone equipped with BTS technology would have implications beyond emergency services at an event like the Jizerská 50. He explained how the drone has commercial use for such a venue, providing the mobile connectivity infrastructure needed to support all aspects of the event. This year, 8,413 competitors participated in the Jizerská 50. Added to this number were spectators, media, emergency crews, vendors, and a sprawling support staff. Every person on the remote mountain had uninterrupted cellular service thanks to the drone-supported BTS system.

Mr. Semetkovský said that the great success of this pilot program has paved the way for continued expansion and partnerships with other companies like Deutsche Telekom. “We see the partnership with T-Mobile and the Deutsche Telekom group as a great opportunity to bring the potential offered by drones to the benefit of the majority of the population, whether it be for emergencies or large commercial events,” Mr. Semetkovský said. To meet such future demands, Primoco is planning to build a larger production facility to prepare a fleet of more than 250 new drones by the end of the year. Primoco’s commitment to expansion and innovative partnerships will set a new standard for how drones can be used to keep the world connected.

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