Nokia Keeps Drone Business as Aurelius Deal Covers Private 5G Platforms
Nokia has confirmed that its sale of the Enterprise Campus Edge unit to Aurelius covers the MPW platform but not Nokia Drone Networks. The drone business will stay inside Nokia while the company reviews strategic options for it. Aurelius will take over ECE’s DAC, MPW, and MXIE platforms plus industrial hardware and software, serving roughly 900 customers in 60 countries, while Nokia keeps using MPW with its RAN products for wider-area private networks.
Nokia has separated its drone division from the campus 5G sale; Nokia Drone Networks remains in-house under strategic review. The unit combines an aircraft, dock, dual-gimbal camera and edge computing, and has supported inspection and monitoring in mines, ports and plants as well as public-safety uses.
Aurelius gains ECE’s DAC, MPW and MXIE platforms, industrial hardware and software, and about 900 customers in 60 countries. Nokia will still pair MPW with its radio access gear for broader mission-critical private networks. ECE will concentrate on campus deals and must re-sign some state or critical contracts.
The split may affect industrial operators, emergency services, ports, mines, utilities, and telecom integrators. If Nokia retains drones while Aurelius runs campus platforms, customers could see continuity in drone and wide-area private 5G offerings, but contract re-signing and ownership changes may create uncertainty. Public-safety users relying on drones over private or public 5G could benefit from continued Nokia involvement, though strategic review may lead to altered support or partnerships.