Chunghwa Telecom lined up an unusual deal to use drones to transport blood, in turn offering insight into how unmanned aerial vehicle connectivity (UAV) could be used to advance smart healthcare.

The Taiwanese operator signed a memorandum of understanding with the New Taipei City Fire Department covering transport of blood supplies for emergency medical uses.

Chunghwa Telecom stated the pair plan trials “along the northern coast and mountainous areas” to see if the drones can “improve the efficiency of medical resource allocation”.

The operator’s New Taipei Operations Office is handling its side of the commitment, which involves providing mobile and fixed network connectivity, establishing smart cold chain systems and evaluating technical aspects.

Chunghwa Telecom also agreed to handle the integration of UAVs and various flight-related elements including monitoring the blood drones as they fly, planning their routes and securing the necessary airspace.

It explained the companies hope to provide more reliable blood supplies during emergency situations, particularly in remote or mountainous areas. Longer term, the pair hope to establish standard operating procedures and boost the links between the UAV set-up and existing emergency service systems.

Chunghwa Telecom pitched the work as a practical example of collaboration “between government, healthcare and technology”, which could broaden the use of smart logistics by emergency and medical service providers.

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