Swisscom Broadcast AG, supported by Murzilli Consulting and working in partnership with the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), has secured a further regulatory approval for its Specific Assurance and Integrity Level (SAIL) III Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations in Switzerland.
The latest approval amends Swisscom Broadcast’s existing FOCA operational authorisation to permit night BVLOS drone flights along dedicated test routes in the Jura-Südfuss region. It follows the original SAIL III authorisation granted on 19 January 2025 for operations in Ittigen, Bern, marking back-to-back regulatory achievements and supporting the continued development of safe, scalable, and repeatable operations within the Swiss Drone Network.
2026 authorisation: Night SAIL III BVLOS drone operations approved
The latest FOCA approval authorises Swisscom Broadcast to conduct its first night BVLOS drone SAIL III test campaign in a residual Air Risk Class b (ARC-b) environment.
The campaign will validate the Tactical Mitigation Performance Requirements (TMPRs) and assess the performance of an integrated detect-and-avoid (DAA) solution under representative operational conditions.
2025 authorisation: The foundation for SAIL III BVLOS drone operations
The latest approval builds directly on Swisscom Broadcast’s original SAIL III operational authorisation, granted by FOCA on 19 January 2025.
The 2025 authorisation enabled Swisscom Broadcast to conduct BVLOS drone operations using the NDN Nokia Electric Drone, with a maximum take-off mass of 12.6 kilograms, for logistics and infrastructure-inspection applications.
The authorised operations are designed to take place below 500 feet above ground level (AGL) in populated environments. The initial approval covers Ittigen, Bern, and provides the foundation for the deployment of 300 units, starting with Bern, Zurich, and the Jura-Südfuss region.
The original authorisation was developed under EU Regulation 2019/947 and the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems (JARUS) SORA 2.0 methodology. The project also anticipates the transition to SORA 2.5, supporting continued alignment with the evolving European regulatory framework for complex UAS operations.
The 2025 approval established the regulatory and operational baseline. The 2026 amendment now expands the scope of the authorised activity by enabling the project team to validate DAA performance and tactical mitigation during night operations.
Validating DAA performance under operational conditions
The night-flight campaign will generate operational evidence on how the integrated DAA system performs during representative BVLOS drone operations.
The trials will assess whether the system can detect relevant air traffic, communicate information within the required timeframes, and support appropriate operational responses. They will also evaluate the effectiveness of the approved contingency procedures and newly defined detection volumes.
This evidence will support the continued validation of the TMPRs required for operations in residual ARC-b airspace.
Tactical mitigation performance must be demonstrated not only through system design, technical documentation, and safety analysis, but also through reliable performance during live operations. The campaign therefore represents an important transition from regulatory assessment to operational validation.
The involvement of FOCA and Skyguide supports the coordinated integration of the trials into the surrounding airspace environment. The planned UAS awareness map will provide other airspace users with advance notice of the flight activity.
Advanced tools support ground and air risk mitigation
To mitigate both ground and air risks, Swisscom Broadcast employs several advanced safety tools.
The project uses Swisscom’s People Density Prediction tool, its current solution for obtaining population-density information. The tool uses anonymised and aggregated mobile-network data to support accurate route planning and identify areas with lower concentrations of people, helping to minimise exposure over populated areas. It provides precise and reliable information that contributes to safer UAS operations. The tool has performed exceptionally well in its use to date and continues to serve as a central, scalable component for risk analysis.
For air-risk mitigation, the project uses the Swisscom Air Scout system to support accurate traffic detection and enhance situational awareness in lower airspace. The system provides precise and reliable information on surrounding air traffic, enabling operators to make well-informed decisions and conduct operations safely. Air Scout is also being continuously improved and validated through test flights, paving the way for more complex UAS operations while maintaining a high level of operational safety.
Air Scout combines multilateration using Mode S signals, Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B), and Flight Alarm (FLARM) technologies. This provides traffic detection and tracking in environments with mixed air traffic, including helicopters and general aviation aircraft.
The night campaign will additionally assess the combined DAA solution provided by Aerobits onboard the aircraft and the Airscout sensors positioned on Swisscom’s broadcast towers.
Together, these capabilities create a layered safety framework that addresses both ground and air risks during BVLOS drone operations.
Two consecutive approvals demonstrate regulatory progress
The 2025 authorisation and the 2026 amendment should be viewed as two distinct but connected regulatory achievements.
The first authorisation confirmed that Swisscom Broadcast could conduct SAIL III BVLOS drone operations within the approved operating environment.
The second authorisation expands that framework by permitting night-flight trials and the validation of the integrated DAA architecture under additional operating conditions.
This staged approach allows new capabilities to be introduced progressively without changing the core operational concept, Ground Risk Buffer, or Contingency Volume.
It also demonstrates the maturity of Swisscom Broadcast’s safety-management system, operational procedures, and technical architecture.
“This achievement highlights not only Swisscom Broadcast’s operational capabilities, but also the robustness of its safety approach. It demonstrates what can be achieved when regulatory compliance and innovation are advanced together,” said Luis Antolin Sainz, Senior Consultant for Operational Authorisations at Murzilli Consulting and Project Lead.
He added that the approval was the result of close collaboration across the Murzilli Consulting team.
In addition to his own role, key contributions were made by Lorenzo Murzilli, Co-founder and CEO; Juan José Sola, Chief Regulatory Officer; Rafael Pecos Macías, Deputy Director of the Spanish Office and Senior Manager for Airspace; Javier Diana López, Senior Consultant for Aviation Systems; Alejandro de San Félix Herrera Perdomo, Senior Consultant for Product Safety; Paula Fernández de Aragón Mostacero, Flight Authorisation Consultant; Marcos Sanz Mayo, Airspace Consultant; and Andrés Felipe Calderón Valverde, Senior Airspace Consultant.
“This latest approval is particularly important because it allows the project team to move from regulatory assessment into the operational validation of the combined DAA architecture,” said Luis Antolin Sainz.
"It builds directly on the original SAIL III authorisation granted in January 2025. Securing these approvals consecutively demonstrates the strength of the safety case, the maturity of the operation, and the value of sustained collaboration between the operator, technology providers, air navigation stakeholders, and the competent authority."
Supporting the expansion of the Swiss Drone Network
The two SAIL III authorisations support Swisscom Broadcast’s wider ambition to establish a secure and high-performance drone infrastructure across Switzerland.
The Swiss Drone Network is expected to comprise up to 300 automated drone-in-a-box units operating as a national Drones-as-a-Service infrastructure.
The network is intended to support:
- Infrastructure inspections
- Site protection
- Emergency response
- Rescue services
By positioning automated drone systems closer to the locations where they are required, the network could reduce response times and improve the efficiency of routine and time-critical operations.
Reliable BVLOS drone operations are central to this model because they allow flights beyond the direct visual range of an on-site remote pilot. However, these activities require a robust combination of regulatory approval, technical capability, operational procedures, and risk mitigation.
The 2025 authorisation established the operational foundation. The 2026 night-flight amendment expands the available evidence and supports the continued development of scalable BVLOS drone services.
Philipp Eder, Head of Drones & Robots at Swisscom Broadcast, commented: “While the SAIL III achievement is noteworthy, it only marks the beginning of our journey as we aim to expand our reach across the country, all while maintaining top-notch air safety standards.”
Murzilli Consulting supports both authorisation processes
Murzilli Consulting provided regulatory and operational-authorisation support for both the original 2025 approval and the latest 2026 amendment.
For the initial authorisation, the consultancy supported the development and presentation of the safety case, the application of the JARUS SORA methodology, and the demonstration of compliance with the applicable regulatory and operational requirements.
For the night-flight amendment, Murzilli Consulting supported work relating to:
- Residual ARC-b operating environment
- TMPR validation
- DAA performance assessment
- Detection-volume definition
- Contingency procedures
- Stakeholder coordination
The two approvals were achieved through collaboration between Swisscom Broadcast, Nokia, FOCA, Skyguide, and Murzilli Consulting, together with the technical providers supporting the integrated DAA solution.
The consecutive authorisations demonstrate how complex BVLOS drone operations can be developed through a structured and progressive regulatory pathway.
About Swisscom Broadcast
Swisscom Broadcast: Securely connected in every situation
Swisscom Broadcast has decades of experience in information and communication solutions. The company plans, builds, operates and maintains tailored radio networks for the radio industry as well as for organisations with safety-critical responsibilities, including the police, emergency services and energy suppliers. Swisscom Broadcast also provides services in the areas of telecommunication, IT, streaming media, content delivery and event ICT. The company is part of the Swisscom Group.
Profile Swisscom Group
Swisscom is the leading ICT company in Switzerland and, with Fastweb + Vodafone, the strong #2 in the Italian market. The company offers mobile, Internet and TV, as well as comprehensive IT and digital services to private and business customers. Swisscom is the most sustainable telecommunications company in the world and is 51% owned by the Swiss Confederation.
About Murzilli Consulting
Murzilli Consulting is a digital aviation consultancy business unit operating within the M&K Global AG group. It was founded in 2020 by Lorenzo Murzilli and is based in Bern, Switzerland, with further branches in Germany, the United Kingdom, Hungary and Spain. The organisation is committed to helping clients succeed with their regulation and compliance strategies. We do this by acting as a digital outsourced regulatory department and working with clients to support them in establishing a high-performing internal regulatory function. Our primary focus is on emerging technologies in the sectors of crewed and uncrewed aviation, advanced air mobility and U-space (including all derivative focuses).
The Murzilli Consulting team offers governments and private enterprises alike the opportunity to establish a high-performing internal regulatory function capable of tackling emerging technologies. We can also develop and implement regulatory strategies and roadmaps as well as execute specific projects such as Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and U-Space Service Provider (USSP) certification, type certification, design verification, SORA approvals and CE marking, among other services. Our customer base is unrivalled in the consulting and services industry and reflects the trust that leading organisations have in our services.
