Sweden will soon be receiving food deliveries by aerial drone. A new project called foodora Air will be using IoT and 5G connected multicopters that look like old-timey milk transportation cans to deliver food. This project is the result of a collaboration between three Swedish companies: Tele2 AB, foodora, and Aerit.
The service will start in May and will initially be available in the municipality of Värmdö, outside Stockholm. Deliveries will be made to the customers’ property or garden wherever possible and lowered with a cable from the drone.
The foodora Air will make use of a fleet of electric drones to provide fast and efficient delivery service of food from various restaurants on Värmdö outside Stockholm. The drones have been developed by Aerit and are integrated into foodora’s technology platform, creating a seamless and efficient delivery experience. They will also be connected to the latest 5G technology provided by Tele2.
“This marks a new era in how people receive deliveries, and we believe we can see more applications in other industries. For us at Tele2, the partnership with foodora is a perfect example of how we can use our 5G connectivity and expertise to drive future delivery services in a simple, sustainable, and smart way, while providing customers with an extraordinary experience,” says Stefan Trampus, Executive Vice President B2B at Tele2.
The drones have a range of 21 kilometers and emit only 2 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, which is significantly lower compared to traditional gasoline or diesel-powered delivery vehicles that emit 143 and 110 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, respectively.
This is an important development, particularly for rural areas where access to various services and products has decreased due to rapid urbanization. In this context, technology and connectivity have the potential to break many of the limitations that currently exist, Stefan Trampus concludes.
The deliveries will be made directly to customers’ properties or gardens and lowered with a cable from the air, starting in May. The new delivery service available in Värmdö, starting in May. To order food, you can use the foodora app. The plan is to expand this service to more areas in Sweden, so that more people can benefit from it just like the residents of major cities.
“We are proud to be the first in Europe to launch real drone deliveries, and we are excited to have Tele2 and Aerit as partners on this exciting journey. Fast home deliveries are a democratic issue, in my opinion. Regardless of where you are in the country, it should be possible to quickly get what you need, such as medicines or groceries. It should not only be available to people who have chosen to settle in big cities,” concludes Daniel Gustafsson Raba, Director of Operations at foodora.
Tele2 will provide continuous connectivity for the drones based on 5G IoT (Internet of Things) technology. With the ability to quickly respond and transmit large amounts of data, 5G will undoubtedly play a critical role in safely managing drone deliveries.
