DHS plans cross-border 5G drone test along the US-Canada border

In short: US and Canadian agencies plan a November exercise to test whether drones and ground vehicles can send live video and sensor data across the border using commercial 5G.

What happened

The US Department of Homeland Security, working with Defense Research and Development Canada, is seeking companies to take part in an experiment along the US-Canada border this fall. The test is scheduled for November.

The exercise is called ACE-CASPER. DHS describes it as a multi-day drill that simulates a national emergency response. Drones and ground vehicles would cross the border while sending live video and other sensor data to a shared command center in both countries.

The main goal is not to prove the vehicles can drive or fly themselves. DHS says the priority is “resilient, persistent 5G communications,” meaning a stable connection that keeps working even when conditions are difficult. You can think of it like testing whether two emergency teams can keep a clear phone call and video feed going while moving between countries.

DHS also uses military-style language in its request, including asking for systems that can collect “real-time battlefield intelligence.” The document refers to “C2ISR,” a defense acronym for command and control and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (tools used to watch an area and help coordinate responses).

This would be the first joint US-Canada cross-border technology test along their shared border in nearly a decade. Earlier drills from 2011 to 2017 focused on whether responders could share radio, video, and data across the border.

Why it matters

Tests like this can shape what surveillance tools governments buy and deploy later, especially for border and emergency operations. It also raises practical questions about how much video and sensor data is collected, who can access it, and how it is shared between countries.

Source: Wired