With almost three quarters (73%) of Britons having walked or hiked in a UK national park this year or planning to do so soon, Virgin Media O2 has announced a trial of 4G and 5G‑connected drone technology in partnership with Snowdonia Aerospace Centre to support emergency services and Mountain Rescue volunteers in protecting lives.
Virgin Media O2 will provide 4G and 5G connectivity over Snowdonia using the “Dragon” unmanned aircraft system (UAS/drone) supplied by Snowdonia Aerospace. Operating as an airborne mobile network, the drone can restore mobile connectivity for visitors who need help and enable first responders to access vital information, assess situations faster, and locate people in danger more efficiently. The trials will investigate how airborne connectivity can speed up emergency response, improve decision-making, lower costs and reduce environmental impact while assisting hikers stranded within the park.
Visitor numbers to national parks have risen since the pandemic, and emergency services faced record call volumes across England and Wales this year—approximately 40% higher than in 2019 and 15% higher than in 2020. New research from Virgin Media O2 shows 63% of Britons visited at least one UK national park in the past year, and over a third (34%) would choose walking or hiking on a UK holiday to save money amid the cost‑of‑living crisis. However, concerns such as getting lost (35%), becoming injured (33%) and being unable to contact anyone (31%) discourage some people from choosing walking or hiking breaks in national parks.
In rural areas like Snowdonia, emergency services rely heavily on 999 calls. But mobile connections can be disrupted by rugged terrain, affecting call reliability and the accuracy of location data that rescuers need to find people quickly. Search and rescue teams face major logistical challenges when narrowing a search area across vast, remote landscapes.
The trial addresses these challenges by deploying a standalone airborne 5G NR (New Radio) network, delivering coverage to remote areas and preserving geolocation data for emergency calls. Beyond voice, next‑generation connectivity will enable picture sharing and video calling, allowing mountain rescue teams to guide people back to safety or assess injuries remotely. This capability could reduce the need to dispatch volunteer teams for every incident, saving time and resources while improving outcomes.
Funded so far by the Innovate UK Future Flight Challenge and a Department for Transport Drone Technology Research and Innovation Grant, the project involves Virgin Media O2, Snowdonia Aerospace, SwiftFlight Avionics, Wavemobile and the Welsh Government. The trial extends Virgin Media O2’s commitment to developing connectivity-enabled solutions that address real problems and benefit consumers and businesses as part of its broader ambition to upgrade the UK’s digital infrastructure.
Vaughan Gething, Wales Minister for the Economy, said: “Connectivity is the bedrock of our digital world. It brings us all closer together and is especially important in situations concerning safety. I am delighted we are supporting this innovative project, which further demonstrates how technology can help us problem solve and improve our lives.”
Kirsty Bright, director of network innovation and transformation at Virgin Media O2, said: “This project is a clear example of how 5G technologies can deliver real societal benefits for people across the UK. This trial could transform how emergency services operate and respond to life‑threatening situations, helping people feel safer when visiting national parks. We have already completed successful initial test flights at Llanbedr airport with the Snowdonia Aerospace team and look forward to demonstrating support for mountain rescue teams across Snowdonia. Trials like this are part of our wider commitment to upgrade the UK and showcase the power of 5G connectivity.”
Paul Terry, a police sergeant in the North Wales Police Drone Unit and a Mountain Rescue volunteer, commented: “Mountain Rescue is a volunteer service and our resources are limited. With increasing visitor numbers to Snowdonia each year, a drone providing mobile connectivity would be a powerful tool for search and rescue teams to rapidly understand and assess situations, saving crucial time in life‑threatening incidents.”
Sarah Jones, a volunteer with the North Wales Mountain Rescue Association, added: “Snowdonia attracts visitors from across the UK every day, with a wide range of hiking experience. Given how popular walking and hiking remain for British holidaymakers, trials like this with Virgin Media O2 are increasingly important to keep walkers safe, especially those who choose to hike alone.”
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