Vodafone has signed a deal with a Chinese flying car company as part of its ambition to develop an air traffic control system for drones and aerial taxis.

The British-based telecoms group will supply EHang with sim cards to connect its electric one- or two-seat drones to its network in Germany…

Mr Hu envisages his drones being used to transport everything from emergency medical materials to commuting passengers.

EHang says it has already done “thousands” of test flights in China and other countries, including in Europe, but has not yet done so in Germany. Its tests are most advanced in Guangzhou, the southern Chinese city where the company is headquartered.

Vodafone has already held talks with European regulators to develop a drone management system in the style of air traffic control. The telecoms company has carved out a niche in drone technology in recent years as it looks for uses for its 5G technology.
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