Foodora and Tele2 launch food delivery with connected drones in Sweden

Online food delivery service Foodora has teamed up with Tele2 to launch food deliveries in Sweden using IoT and 5G connected drones.

Deliveries will, where possible, be made directly to customers’ properties or gardens and lowered with a cable from the air. These will commence in May in Värmdö, with plans to roll out the service to further locations across Sweden, the firms said in a statemtent.

The advanced drones were developed by Aerit, a technology leader in the drone industry. Known as Foodora Air, they are integrated into Foodora’s technology platform. Tele2 will provide continuous connectivity for the drones based on 5G IoT technology.

The drones have a range of 21 kilometres and emit 2 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, a sizeable difference to traditional gasoline or diesel-powered delivery vehicles that emit 143 and 110 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre, respectively.

Stefan Trampus, Executive Vice President B2B at Tele2, said: “Technology and connectivity have the potential to break many of the limitations that currently exist in rural areas, where access to various services and products has decreased in line with rapid urbanization.”

Daniel Gustafsson Raba, Director Operations at foodora, added: “We are proud to be the first in Europe to launch real drone deliveries, and we are excited to have Tele2 and Aerit as partners on this exciting journey. Fast home deliveries are a democratic issue, in my opinion. Regardless of where you are in the country, it should be possible to quickly get what you need, such as medicines or groceries. It should not only be available to people who have chosen to settle in big cities.”