The Communications Authority today launched the new Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) (Private) Licence to support the development of low-altitude economy.

The authority said that under the UAS (Private) Licence regime, licensees will be assigned the 1430-1444 MHz, or 1.4 GHz, band, as the dedicated spectrum for establishing, maintaining and operating radiocommunications installations for UAS operations.

It explained that the licence offers an additional communications solution to UAS operators beyond the current use of wireless local area networks and 4G or 5G mobile networks for data transmission and control, thereby enhancing support for the safe and efficient operation of UAS and supporting the development of a low-altitude economy ecosystem.

The UAS (Private) Licence is now open for applications from organisations participating in Low-altitude Economy Regulatory Sandbox pilot projects.

Interested parties can submit their applications to the authority. These should include information of the UAS they operate, approvals from the Civil Aviation Department on specific flight paths, and details of the radio base stations required.

The authority will rigorously review each application and closely monitor use of the dedicated UAS spectrum to ensure compliance with licence conditions and effective utilisation of spectrum resources.

Call 2961 6333 for enquiries.