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Deutsche Telekom demonstrated its expertise in drone protection during the 2024 European Football Championship in Berlin. Deutsche Telekom worked with the Berlin police to ensure security at the Olympic Stadium. State-of-the-art technology was used to detect unauthorized drone flights and thus ensure the safety of spectators and the integrity of the event.
The Berlin police commissioned Telekom to protect the stadium from drone attacks back in September 2023. The Telekom team set up a comprehensive network of sixteen radio frequency sensors, which were strategically installed at various locations. These sensors continuously analyze the radio spectrum and make it possible to precisely determine the position of drones and their pilots.
Despite the difficult conditions, with 70,000 vociferous fans in the stadium, the team worked discreetly and successfully. During each match, drones were detected around the stadium, on the fan mile and in the government district, which led to rapid deployment of the security forces. The high efficiency of the system was recognized by the security forces involved, and the team received high praise for its work.
The European Football Championship not only brought Telekom operational success, but also valuable new contacts. Numerous national and international security services showed interest in Telekom’s drone protection solutions, which has already led to new projects in Vienna and potential orders in Hungary and India.
Active in drone defense since 2016
Telekom’s success story in drone protection began back in 2016 with Telekom Security GmbH. Originally, the main aim was to prevent industrial espionage using drones. Over the years, however, demand has grown for more comprehensive protection solutions, especially for cities and critical infrastructure such as airports.
Deutsche Telekom achieved a decisive breakthrough in collaboration with its Israeli technology partner Vorpal when it convinced the Berlin police of the precision and reliability of its system. The technology, which is based on the time-difference-of-arrival method, makes it possible to determine the position of a drone using the transit time of its radio signal. This method has since been recognized by German air traffic control as the minimum standard for drone detection systems.
The pandemic temporarily slowed down Telekom’s activities, but with the end of the pandemic and growing security awareness, particularly due to the war in Ukraine, the drone protection business experienced a strong upswing. The million-euro order from the Berlin police marked the high point of this development and confirmed Telekom’s strategy, which had demonstrated patience and perseverance in recent years.
