The newly formed Drone Advocate Alliance fights against a ban on Chinese drone technology.
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formation of Drone Advocate Alliance Announced today. The alliance is “a coalition dedicated to protecting the right of U.S. drone users to choose and use drones,” the press release said. “The alliance will serve as a platform for drone users to learn more about the laws that may affect them and make their voices heard.” From the alliance website:
The Drone Advocacy Alliance is a non-partisan, drone-agnostic grassroots advocacy coalition. Founded at a time when proposed drone market access restrictions at the state and federal levels could upend the burgeoning drone ecosystem, the alliance aims to help drone users determine the best drone use and choice. We are working to ensure that policies that may affect capacity are taken into account. to suit your operational needs.
The initial partners of the Drone Advocacy Alliance represent various stakeholders in the drone industry. bluenose aerial photography, DJI, drone link, drone sense, Drone Service Provider Alliance (DSPA), pilot laboratory and the Unmanned Trade Alliance. China-based DJI is the world’s largest drone maker, with an estimated US market share of 60-75%.
The Drone Advocate Alliance will respond to a proposal by the U.S. government to limit Chinese drone technology. “These proposals threaten to upend the U.S. drone ecosystem, which includes software providers, resellers, distributors, and the myriad of end users who incorporate drones into their work. small businesses in the United States, who are using drones in nearly every industry across the economy, researchers gathering data to better understand the world, and public safety agencies protecting their communities. It could affect people,” the release said.
At this point, Drone Advocate Alliance In particular, it will help stakeholders email or communicate with lawmakers regarding two proposals currently in place: the U.S. Security Drone Act ( bill here) and the Chinese Communist Party Anti-Drone Law (Read) act here. )
U.S. Security Drone Law and Chinese Communist Party Anti-Drone Law
U.S. government agencies are looking to eliminate threats to global supply chains and boost domestic production across the defense ecosystem, including drones. To this end, government agencies have provided significant funding to US manufacturers to develop new capabilities and expand production capacity. At the same time, in the current geopolitical climate, lawmakers continue to seek to limit reliance on Chinese technology across the telecommunications and industrial ecosystems. Such efforts are sometimes referred to as the “Huawei effect” after telecom giant Huawei faced intense scrutiny over numerous allegations of intellectual property theft and cybersecurity threats.
The U.S. National Security Drone Act of 2023 broadly restricts government purchases of “drone manufactured or assembled by certain foreign entities, including entities influenced or controlled by China,” with exceptions …the ban includes , which contains relevant elements that enable the operator to operate the aircraft. national airspace system. In addition, the U.S. Security Drone Act would require agencies to take responsibility for existing drone fleets “manufactured or assembled” in “covered foreign entities.”
The Chinese Communist Party’s anti-drone law is directly aimed at: DJI. From the legal summary:
The bill would allow telecommunications and video surveillance equipment or services manufactured or provided by Shenzhen Daejiang Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. (a Chinese drone manufacturer commonly known as DJI Technologies) to be included in the list of federally mandated telecommunications equipment or services. required to be included. The Communications Commission (FCC) has warned that it poses an unacceptable risk to US national security. Current law prohibits the use of federal funds available through designated FCC programs to purchase or maintain listed equipment or services.
While the direct impact of being added to the FCC listing may be relatively insignificant, the designation of DJI equipment as posing an “unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States” suggests that other groups have May be used to justify the creation of additional prohibitions or restrictions on use. of DJI products.
Why are government policies important to the commercial industry?
DJI is the world’s largest drone manufacturer, and there are various mature models on the market. Founded in 2006, DJI is backed by over 14,000 employees and his 15 years of technical development, allowing us to offer commercial platforms at lower prices than many of our competitors. Although DJI does not specifically sell to government agencies, many state and local agencies, including law enforcement and fire departments, have established programs using his DJI products.
Government attempts to ban Chinese drone technology have spilled over to the state and local levels, with several states enacting their own regulations. These generally unfunded state-level laws put public safety drone programs in a difficult position, forcing them to change operations, replace hardware, and provide new training to personnel. In 2022, 95% of surveyed Florida law enforcement agencies said Florida’s proposed ban would have a negative impact on their programs in the short term.
Additionally, some commercial programs have unofficially banned Chinese drone technology, forcing service providers to buy new hardware or abandon long-term customers.
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Miriam McNabb, editor-in-chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of professional drone services marketplace JobForDrones, is a keen observer of the emerging drone industry and drone regulatory environment. Miriam is an international speaker and industry recognized figure, with over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and he has over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, email Miriam.
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