Broadcast-Only Remote Identification of Drones Could Slow Progress

The Small UAV Coalition commends the FAA and Department of Transportation in meeting its commitment to publish a final remote ID rule by the end of this year. Unfortunately however, the FAA missed the opportunity to adopt a flexible, technology-neutral approach to remote ID by allowing both broadcast and network technology.

Instead, the FAA is imposing a requirement only to use broadcast technology, which runs counter to an industry synonymous with innovation and progress. The FAA itself acknowledges the limits of the rule, including that progress on establishing an unmanned traffic management (UTM) system -- which both FAA and NASA have spent several years pursuing -- will not be served by this rule.
 
The FAA's final rule authorizing Operations of Small UAS Over People (OOP), also published today, rightly authorizes operations at night, subject to equipage and training requirements, obviating a waiver. While the risk methodology in the final rule remains unduly restrictive, the final rule does create a new Category 4, by which a UAS with an airworthiness certificate would receive broad authority to operate over people, which the Coalition supports.
 
The Coalition looks forward to continuing to work with the FAA in implementing these rules and in exploring future amendments, as well as to work together to enable routine expanded operations, such as beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), that are critical to fully realizing the promise of UAS technology to deliver innumerable economic and societal benefits, and to ensure United States remains a world leader in UAS technology.

FMI: www.smalluavcoalition.org