Russian forces are using LTE mobile networks and Ukrainian SIM cards to remotely control FPV drones, according to Beskrestnov.
Switching off cards that roam fast (travel across multiple base stations in a row) would stop the carrier drone, but the carrier is not using a SIM card. Beskrestnov is speaking of FPV drones (electric quadcopters) dropped from the carrier. These don’t roam between cells (they are short range) - they hit targets locally like guided bombs.
For me the question arises: can a cell phone base station measure Doppler shift for an individual client, and switch it off basing on the result? Likely not in their default configuration, and software development would take time. Hardware development would take a lot of time. And this would mean that using LTE data in a car becomes impossible, because FPV drones and cars share the same speed range.
Background: “Flash” was a radio amateur with considerable experience before he became adviser to the defense ministry. He gets stuff wrong very rarely, and usually comments after seeing evidence (they analyze drone wreckage on a daily basis).
For me the question arises: can a cell phone base station measure Doppler shift for an individual client, and switch it off basing on the result?
I believe so. Cell tower triangulation via travel-time and signal strength is an existing, already proven method to get very general location data from cellular devices, just using that over a few samples would get you approximate speed data and likely be sufficient.
Please pay attention to this detail:
Switching off cards that roam fast (travel across multiple base stations in a row) would stop the carrier drone, but the carrier is not using a SIM card. Beskrestnov is speaking of FPV drones (electric quadcopters) dropped from the carrier. These don’t roam between cells (they are short range) - they hit targets locally like guided bombs.
For me the question arises: can a cell phone base station measure Doppler shift for an individual client, and switch it off basing on the result? Likely not in their default configuration, and software development would take time. Hardware development would take a lot of time. And this would mean that using LTE data in a car becomes impossible, because FPV drones and cars share the same speed range.
Background: “Flash” was a radio amateur with considerable experience before he became adviser to the defense ministry. He gets stuff wrong very rarely, and usually comments after seeing evidence (they analyze drone wreckage on a daily basis).
I believe so. Cell tower triangulation via travel-time and signal strength is an existing, already proven method to get very general location data from cellular devices, just using that over a few samples would get you approximate speed data and likely be sufficient.