TV Asahi and KDDI, together with KDDI SmartDrone, conducted a demonstration of disaster video transmission and reporting using permanent drone ports installed at multiple locations in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture. They tested the ability to take off in approximately 15 minutes and transmit live video from above the affected area to TV Asahi.
On 7 October 2026, TV Asahi, KDDI and KDDI SmartDrone conducted a demonstration of disaster reporting in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture using multiple permanent drone ports. Assuming the immediate aftermath of a major earthquake, they used “Skydio Dock for X10” drone ports installed at 7 locations in the Noto region. Video was brought into the news sub through a receiving system independently developed by TV Asahi, confirming that it could be used immediately for reporting. Scenes from the area were filmed simultaneously from above multiple ports and transmitted to TV Asahi.
A system in which 2 KDDI SmartDrone operators in Tokyo simultaneously operated 4 drones functioned to capture conditions across a wide area. The demonstration confirmed that a combination of fixed-point flights and wide-area flights along preconfigured routes could cover everything from assessing conditions immediately after a disaster to conducting detailed checks of damage. This showed the potential to obtain video useful for evacuation and safety measures.
Going forward, the companies aim to enhance operating procedures for drone flights and coordination with news reporting during disasters, establish a disaster-reporting system using drone ports and create a society in which initial information can be collected rapidly anywhere in Japan. The presentation is scheduled to take place at KDDI SUMMIT 2026, a KDDI Group business event, on 28 October 2026.