Exploring the Future of Uncrewed Technology at Excel London
DroneX Tradeshow & Conference 2026 takes place on 29 and 30 September 2026 at Excel London, bringing together organisations from the commercial, defence, emergency services and future flight sectors.
Part of the Uncrewed Tech Expo, DroneX is expected to welcome more than 4,000 global B2B visitors, connecting technology innovators, manufacturers and end users from across the uncrewed systems industry. The event runs from 10:00 to 16:00 on both days.
As drones and other uncrewed systems become increasingly connected, reliable data communication is becoming an important part of applications ranging from inspection and surveying to emergency response, agriculture and security.
We provide managed IoT connectivity and centralised device management designed to support connected technology operating across multiple networks and locations.
Drones Are Becoming Connected IoT Devices
Modern drones can generate significant amounts of operational information while in use.
Depending on the application and equipment, this can include:
- GPS location
- Flight telemetry
- Equipment status
- Camera images
- Video
- Sensor readings
- Environmental data
- Mapping information
- Battery status
- Maintenance information
Once captured, this information may need to reach cloud platforms, control centres or other authorised systems.
Cellular IoT connectivity can provide a communication route for suitable drone equipment, ground stations and supporting devices.
Multi-Network Connectivity for Mobile Operations
Drones may operate across very different environments.
A system could be used in a city centre one day and at a remote industrial, agricultural or infrastructure site the next. Mobile coverage can vary significantly between these locations.
We support connectivity across more than 100 carriers and connected-device platforms, allowing organisations to bring multiple connectivity providers together through one management environment.
Multi-network connectivity can be particularly useful for:
- Infrastructure inspection
- Agricultural monitoring
- Construction projects
- Emergency response
- Utilities
- Environmental monitoring
- Security operations
- Remote industrial sites
The appropriate connectivity configuration will depend on the drone, supporting hardware, data requirements and operating environment.
Inspection and Infrastructure Monitoring
Drones are increasingly used to inspect locations that may be difficult, expensive or dangerous for people to access directly.
Applications can include:
- Power infrastructure
- Telecommunications sites
- Solar farms
- Wind turbines
- Buildings and rooftops
- Bridges
- Construction projects
- Rail infrastructure
- Industrial facilities
Connected equipment can transmit inspection information back to authorised platforms for analysis.
This can help teams review images, sensor measurements and equipment information without waiting for data to be manually collected from every site.
Emergency Services and Public Safety
Drone technology can also support emergency response and public safety operations.
Depending on the organisation and approved use case, drones may assist with:
- Search and rescue
- Flood monitoring
- Fire assessment
- Incident mapping
- Remote visual inspection
- Environmental monitoring
- Situational awareness
Reliable connectivity can help transfer appropriate drone and sensor data between field equipment and authorised systems.
For emergency applications, communications should always be designed with the necessary resilience, security and operational procedures rather than relying on a single communication method.
Connected Cameras and Video
Many commercial drones carry cameras or other imaging equipment.
Applications may require anything from occasional still images to high-resolution video.
The amount of mobile data required will therefore vary significantly.
Businesses should consider:
- Image and video resolution
- Frequency of uploads
- Length of video transmissions
- Number of connected devices
- Whether live viewing is required
- Available mobile coverage
- Cloud storage requirements
- Remote access requirements
A drone used to upload occasional inspection images may require far less data than equipment transmitting video regularly.
Selecting an appropriate connectivity plan is therefore important for both performance and cost management.
Environmental and Agricultural Monitoring
Drones can combine aerial mobility with connected sensors to collect information across large areas.
Potential applications include:
- Crop monitoring
- Soil and vegetation assessment
- Water monitoring
- Environmental surveys
- Air-quality monitoring
- Temperature measurement
- Land inspection
- Forestry management
This information can be transferred to cloud platforms where it can be stored, visualised and analysed alongside other IoT sensor data.
Combining aerial data with ground-based connected sensors can provide organisations with a more complete picture of conditions across a site.
GPS and Asset Tracking
Drone operations may involve more than the aircraft itself.
Ground equipment, batteries, cases, trailers, vehicles and specialist sensors can all form part of the wider deployment.
Connected GPS trackers can help businesses monitor the location and movement of valuable equipment.
Depending on the platform, organisations may be able to monitor:
- Current location
- Journey history
- Geofence activity
- Unexpected movement
- Equipment status
- Battery information
This can provide greater visibility across fleets of mobile equipment.
Temporary and Remote Site Connectivity
Drone teams often operate away from permanent offices and fixed communications infrastructure.
Surveying, construction, emergency response and inspection projects may require connectivity at temporary or remote locations.
A suitable 4G or 5G router can provide connectivity for supporting equipment such as:
- Laptops
- Tablets
- Ground stations
- Cameras
- Monitoring equipment
- Cloud applications
- Connected sensors
This can create a temporary communications environment without waiting for a fixed broadband connection.
Secure Connectivity for Drone Data
Commercial drone operations can generate sensitive information about infrastructure, locations and business operations.
Connectivity therefore needs appropriate security controls.
Depending on the deployment, secure IoT networking can include:
- Private APNs
- VPN connectivity
- Fixed private IP addresses
- Fixed public IP addresses
- IP whitelisting
- Restricted internet access
- Usage limits
- Approved endpoint access
These controls can help organisations manage how connected equipment communicates with authorised platforms.
Centralised IoT Management
Drone fleets and supporting equipment can involve multiple SIMs, networks and devices.
Managing each connection separately becomes more difficult as operations grow.
We provide a single pane of glass IoT SaaS platform designed to bring connectivity and device information together. The platform supports more than 100 carriers and includes SIM and device management, usage analytics, notifications, anomaly detection and reporting.
Organisations can use centralised management to:
- Monitor connectivity usage
- Manage SIMs and devices
- Create alerts
- Identify unusual activity
- Review performance
- Manage multiple carriers
- Analyse costs
- Monitor larger connected deployments
This can be particularly useful for businesses operating drone technology across multiple teams, customers or regions.
DroneX 2026 and the Future of Connected Drones
DroneX Tradeshow & Conference 2026 brings together organisations working across commercial drones, defence, emergency services and future flight technology, creating an opportunity to explore how uncrewed systems are developing across multiple industries.
As drones become more connected, organisations will need reliable ways to manage the networks and devices supporting their operations.
We provide a unified IoT platform designed to help organisations manage connectivity across multiple carriers, devices and deployments from one central environment.
Whether supporting connected inspection equipment, remote sensors, tracking technology or mobile field operations, managed IoT connectivity can help organisations maintain greater visibility and control over their connected estate.
DroneX Tradeshow & Conference 2026 takes place on 29 and 30 September at Excel London.
Contact us to discuss connectivity and device management for drone, uncrewed and remote IoT applications.
