Nokia is known for selling some of the most popular phones of all time, but they are also known in the network business as a separate entity, Nokia Networks.
It seems now they want to move into another separate business, as Drone Life reports that Nokia seems to be interested in drones. According to the publication, Nokia has filed a trademark application with the European Union Intellectual Property Office for drones.
When you check out the trademark file, the name requested is OVNI which is filed as a word trademark for telecommunication equipment, specifically civilian and military drones. This was registered two days ago as shown in the trademark file.
This is interesting since Nokia has already teased about their plans with drones, like in this video which shows what looks like working Nokia drones that are deployed for surveillance and inspection in factories. Back in March, they won the UAE Drones for Good Award where they showed how their drones can be of assistance during rescue operations. In UAE specifically, they had a base station that had a 4G connection which provided connectivity to the drones.
It is interesting that Nokia wants to jump into the drone industry, which is dominated by the likes of DJI, who offer consumer drones at various price points. Judging from their video teasers, it seems Nokia is targeting their drones for commercial aspects (factories) and in disaster management. Nokia OVNI drones in combination with their experience in network infrastructure means that their drones could become the to-go-to for surveillance in factories and in rescue operations.
