Drone Edge 2026: Helipads and Drones in a 5G Network
Image: drone landing infrastructure at BVV Living Lab in Brno; not a photograph from the conference.
What does it take to move drone delivery beyond individual demonstration flights? At Drone Edge 2026 in Prague, we brought a perspective focused on the infrastructure around the aircraft: where a drone lands, how it exchanges information, and how these elements fit into an operational system.
The conference took place on 7–8 October 2026 at the Fantova Building at Prague Main Railway Station. On 7 October, Luboš Lněnička presented “Helipads and drones in a 5G network”, sharing our work on connected drone infrastructure and experience from testing at the Brno Exhibition Centre.
A landing point is part of the whole mission
Drone logistics is not only about carrying a parcel through the air. A mission also needs a defined destination and a way to coordinate what happens on the ground. At 3L Robotics, our focus on helipads reflects that practical requirement: landing infrastructure belongs in the same conversation as the aircraft and the software managing its mission.
For repeated operations, the interaction between these elements matters. A landing point must be considered in the context of its surroundings, the intended use case, and the wider operational process. This is why we work on infrastructure as part of an integrated drone logistics system rather than as an isolated accessory.
Where 5G fits into drone operations
Connectivity provides a link between physical infrastructure and digital supervision. A 5G network can support the exchange of operational information between connected devices and systems. Its value for a particular drone mission, however, depends on the conditions of deployment and on how the complete system is designed and tested.
Our presentation connected these two topics: helipads as physical infrastructure and connectivity as an enabler of coordinated operations. Reliable autonomous services require attention to both; a network connection alone does not replace safe operational design.
Experience from Brno, shared in Prague
BVV Living Lab at the Brno Exhibition Centre gives our work a practical testing context. It allows drone infrastructure to be considered in a real environment, alongside the digital infrastructure needed for connected technologies.
Drone Edge also featured Michal Král’s introduction of the BVV Drone Polygon in Brno. Together, these contributions put the spotlight on an important part of the Czech drone ecosystem: places where technology can be tested and experience can be shared with others working toward real deployment.
Building the conditions for everyday drone logistics
For us, Drone Edge was an opportunity to bring landing infrastructure into the wider discussion about autonomous drones. Our direction remains the same: connect landing points, mission management and operational requirements so that drone logistics can progress from pilots toward repeatable everyday use.
Thank you to the organisers and everyone who joined the discussion in Prague.
Sources: our conference announcement, our presentation recap and the official Drone Edge website.