Qualcomm’s third drone platform is the first to incorporate 5G as well as support for ML (machine learning) inferencing, reducing power consumption and bringing closer full remote high performance flying beyond visual non-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operation. It also underlines the opportunities commercial drone flying holds for mobile operators, with Verizon a launch partner for this new Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G platform on its public 5G network in the US. The aim is for the platform, which can operate in millimeter wave spectrum, to be available via Verizon’s Thingspace Marketplace. The reference design is on pre-sale release now, with the development kit slated for Q4 and the first commercial products based on the platform scheduled for release mid-2022. According to Qualcomm, the…